Bard College History Professor Christian Ayne Crouch looks at the roots of the War of 1812, which she traces back to the Seven Years' War in the 1750s and 1760s. The New York Public Library hosted this event. 

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On June 18, 1812 the United States declared war on Great Britain. Hostilities continued until the Treaty of Ghent was ratified on February 16, 1815.  In this program, historian Anthony Pitch talks about his book, "The Burning of Washington: The British Invasion of 1814."

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A discussion on the War of 1812 with J.C.A. Stagg, a history professor at the University of Virginia and author of "The War of 1812: Conflict for a Continent." This event was hosted by the Maryland Historical Society.

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In 1812, Joshua Barney, a retired naval hero of the Revolutionary War proposed a plan for a fleet of American barges to defend the Chesapeake Bay area against the British. In August, 1814, Barney was forced to destroy & sink his fleet of 15 vessels in Maryland's Patuxent River to prevent their capture. The suspected flagship "Scorpion" was discovered under the river mud in 1979 and partially excavated. Now, underwater archaeologist Robert Neyland of the Navy History and Heritage Command is leading a team to further study the wreck. American History TV visited the river with Mr. Neyland to learn about the project, and visited the Navy's Underwater Archaeology lab in the Washington Navy yard where the artifacts are studied.

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This year is the Bicentennial of the start of the War of 1812. Donald Hickey talked about some of the myths that have lingered through history about that war at an event hosted at the Detroit Historical Museum. Mr. Hickey is the author of the book "Don't Give up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812."

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The Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that eventually became the "Star Spangled Banner." The Maryland Historical Society hosted music historian David Hildebrand for a look at how the history of the Star Spangled Banner - and how writing and poetry became musical expressions of patriotism during and after the war of 1812.

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On June 18th, 1812, President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, beginning the War of 1812.

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The Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville was fought April 30 to May 6, 1863, in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Many historians consider the battle to be Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s greatest victory. Facing a Union Army more than twice the size of his own, Lee divided his forces, sending 27,000 men under “Stonewall” Jackson on a 12-mile march to deliver a flank attack. In this program, we follow two National Park Service historians on a tour as they walk the same ground exactly 150 years after Jackson launched his attack.

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Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial overlooks Washington D.C. from the heights of Arlington National Cemetery. As the nation commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Civil War – and after a six-year restoration effort – the house once again looks much like the home that  Lee knew. Built by George Washington Parke Custis, the step-grandson of George Washington, it was originally a memorial to the first president. Robert E. Lee married Custis’ daughter, Mary. It was at Arlington House that Lee resigned from the U.S. Army at the outset of the Civil War. Now it stands as the only national memorial to a Confederate leader, recognizing Lee’s post-war public efforts at reconciliation.                                                                                                             

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In the third of a three-part series, American History TV visits San Francisco and follows historian Charlie Chin as he takes a group of college student on a walking tour of Chinatown. He describes the 1906 earthquake, the development of businesses in Chinatown, and how the area is still an entry point for new immigrants from China.

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