BALTIMORE

In the War of 1812, the Royal Navy launched an assault on the economic hub of Maryland, prompting an inspired American defence against the old enemy

- DAVID SMITH

Relations between Britain and its former colonies had been prickly ever since the United States won its independence, and there were many friction points between the two nations. Even so, a declaration of war in 1812 (the first time the USA had declared war on a foreign power) still seemed to catch both parties by surprise.

There was little appetite for war and neither side was in much of a position to fight one. Great Britain had all it could handle with the Napoleonic Wars, while the American armed forces were weak. The declaration itself appears to have been unexpected – President James Madison brought a list of grievances before Congress in June 1812 and they narrowly voted for war.

With neither side fully engaged, the conflict meandered on for more than two years, with much of the fighting focussed around the Canadian border. Things changed in 1814, with the defeat of Napoleon. Britain now had troops available for more serious operations, and the Chesapeake Bay was chosen as the best area to attack.

Operations in the bay were primarily intended to be a diversion to relieve pressure on British forces defending Canada. Risks were to be kept to a minimum because there was a major offensive planned in the Gulf of Mexico later in the year. A successful raid on Washington famously ended with the burning of the White House on 24 August 1814, and for a while it appeared as though operations in the Chesapeake were at an end.

Admiral Alexander Cochrane was wary of continuing operations in the region because the malarial season was about to begin, and he favoured keeping British troops healthy for the planned shift of focus to the Gulf. Other British officers felt that they had established momentum in the Chesapeake and should return there. Cochrane and Major General Robert Ross were eventually persuaded to mount another raid, and Baltimore was the chosen target.