President:
Pres: James Madison starts second term
General
- Military: War of 1812 - Americans capture York (Toronto) and Fort St. George
HMS Shannon captures US frigate Chesapeake
US forces defeated at Chrysler's Farm near Montreal – burn Newark (Niagara on the Lake) – British forces take Fort Niagara and burn Buffalo
Daniel Webster protests the draft
- Natives: Tecumseh killed in Battle of the Thames in Canada as part of War of 1812 - William Henry Harrison leading charge
East
- General: "We have met the enemy and they are ours" Captain Oliver Perry recaptures Great Lakes
Daniel Webster enters congress Northerner
- Maine: Colby College in Maine founded
- Massachusetts: Francis Cabot Lowell builds power loom in Waltham
- New York: First use of words "Uncle Sam" in New York State's Troy Post
Battle of Sacket's Harbor
- Vermont: Start of three successive years of crop failures in Vermont
Midwest
- Michigan: Detroit reoccupied by US
- Ohio: Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman) ran 30 miles to call US troops to OH to prevent Indian raid
South
- Alabama: Portion ceded to US
Fort Mims Massacre as Red Stick kill 400 – Creek War ensues until 1814
- Florida: US annexes west Florida
- Kentucky: River Raisin Massacre – 30 to 60 Kentucky militia killed after surrendering
- Mississippi: Portion ceded to US
West and Pacific