Native nations from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico experienced the War of 1812 as but a chapter in a much longer struggle to defend their homelands against European encroachment and settlement. As empires moved westward, new Native alliances brought together coalitions of nations. Spiritual and cultural renewal combined with military resistance as native communities attempted to stem the tide of American expansion and maintain independence and autonomy.
These stories of American Indians show a group heavily divided about who, how, and why they supported Great Britain or the United States or if they even supported them. The stories of the War of 1812 for American Indians did not end when the last shots were fired from a cannon or musket at New Orleans or when the Treaty of Ghent was ratified and exchanged. For American Indians the stories continued for many years up to the present day.
Last updated: December 2, 2014