War of 1812 1812-1815 - Florida Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The War of 1812 resulted from British attempts to restrict the United States' transatlantic trade and from the seizing and pressing of American sailors into the British Navy. On June 18, 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. By July, the American USS Constitution had won a major naval battle against the British in the Atlantic. The war was fought across the United States, parts of Canada, and Spanish Florida. At the same time indigenous people were fighting for their land. On March 26, 1814, US forces with allied Creeks and Cherokees defeated a group of Creeks known as the Red Sticks at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Alabama. Georgia land belonging to the defeated Creeks was seized and sold off in a lottery. On August 24, 1814, the British attacked Washington, D.C. and set the White House on fire, forcing First Lady Dolley Madison to flee. On September 13-14, Fort McHenry in Baltimore was bombarded through the night inspiring The Star Spangled Banner, the poem that would become the national anthem. As the war dragged on, the British government, strained by war with Napoleon in Europe, agreed to negotiations for peace. On December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the war. News of the treaty did not reach the United States forces until months later. The Battle of New Orleans, the last major battle of the war, was fought until January 8, 1815.
Florida was under Spanish control during the War of 1812 and was a haven for runaway slaves and Red Stick Creeks fighting the United States. Invasions of Florida by US troops commanded by General Andrew Jackson during and after the War of 1812 led to the First Seminole War. Florida did not become a US territory until 1821 with the signing of the Adams-Onis Treaty during the administration of President James Monroe.
Some of the earliest settlers on Lake Monroe, in the area that is now Sanford, were veterans of the War of 1812. Elias Woodruff served under General Andrew Jackson in New Orleans. He was born in New Jersey and came to Florida from Mississippi in 1844. Woodruff's descendants still lived in Sanford in 2009. John Hughey, of South Carolina, arrived in 1845 to claim land granted to him by the Armed Occupation Act of 1842. He settled on land that later became known as Sanford Heights.

The Star Spangled Banner
The words of the national anthem of the United States of America come from a poem written by Francis Scott Key in 1814 during the bombardment of Fort McHenry near Baltimore. The "Star Spangled Banner" was the fifteen star flag of the United States flying above the fort through the night of the battle. This flag is now on display in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.

USS Constitution
On August 19, 1812, the United States defeated Great Britain in a naval battle between the USS Constitution and the HMS Guerriere. It was noted at the time that the American ship repelled fire as if it was made of iron. This led to the USS Constitution becoming know as "Old Ironsides." Construction of the ship using Georgia live oak was begun in 1794 and the name was chosen by President George Washington. The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy and is docked in Boston.

Andrew Jackson
1767-1845
Andrew Jackson commanded US troops and allied Creeks and Cherokees at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Alabama in March 1814. This battle was fought during the War of 1812 but it also ended the Creek War between the United States and the Red Sticks. Following the battle, Jackson invaded Florida and moved on to New Orleans where the last battle of the War of 1812 was fought. The victorious leader of that battle, Jackson led an invasion of Florida during the First Seminole War, served as military governor of the Florida territory in 1821, and became the 7th President of the United States in 1829.

Marker Number: None Date: None County: Seminole Marker Type: Plaque Sponsored or placed by: City of Sanford Website: Not listed

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