FORT MEIGS

Ohio’s War of 1812 Battlefield

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War of 1812 timeline and links to significant places associated with the war in the U. S. and Canada.

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Posted on June 18, 2012 by ohiohistory

Portrait of William Henry Harrison, commander of the Army of the Northwest during

the War of 1812.

Ohioans have a long tradition of military service, but most of the wars we have participated in were not fought on our soil. The War of 1812 is the major exception. An article about the 200th Anniversary of the War in Sunday’s Columbus Dispatch describes it as The Fight that Forged Ohio. While not as well remembered as the Revolutionary War or the Civil War, it was crucial to determining whether Great Britain or the United States would control the Northwest Territory. It also led to the final relocation of Native American tribes from Ohio to Oklahoma.

Our state’s role was significant. General William Henry Harrison, commander of the Army of the Northwest, established his headquarters in Franklinton; nearly half of Ohio’s eligible men joined the army to defend their homes; numerous fortifications were built; and major battles were fought here.

To Learn More about the War of 1812: Visit the reconstructed Fort Meigs in Perrysburg.

Portion of the reconstructed stockade and a block house on the site of Fort Meigs in Perrysburg.

Photograph from the Ohio Historical Society Site Files.

Other OHS sites related to the War of 1812 include the site of Fort Amanda and the William Henry Harrison’s tomb. A more complete list of War of 1812 sites in Ohio can be found in our War of 1812 Primer

Come see our new exhibit The War of 1812: Ohio on the Front Line at the Ohio History Center. It opens Wednesday, July 4 in the Spotlight Gallery. It is free with admission to the Center and Ohio Village. Artifacts showcasing Ohio’s place in the War will be on display along with letters, enlistment papers and other documents that tell the stories of individual soldiers.