General Society of the War of 1812

Background

The Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Maryland was organized at Baltimore on September 14, 1814 (two days after the Battle of North Point), by veterans who had defeated Major-General Robert Ross's forces there.^[1]

The Society of the War of 1812 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was organized at Philadelphia on January 9, 1854 (one day after the anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans), by a group of veterans who met in general convention at Independence Hall, having responded to a call issued by Joel B. Sutherland (himself a veteran and former member of Congress). Ostensibly called to draft resolutions pertaining to federal bounty land legislation, they acknowledged the need to organize at the national level for mutual support and to perpetuate the history of the War of 1812. They met again a year later in Washington, D.C., where they were received by President Franklin Pierce at the White House and lobbied members of Congress to secure the federal legislation, which was passed into law as the Bounty Land Act of 1855 on March 3.^[2]

Amalgamation

On April 14, 1894,^[2] the Maryland and the Pennsylvania societies met at Philadelphia to organize a general society. Being a federated society, they opted for the September 14, 1814, establishment date (the date the Maryland Society was first organized).^[1] The General Society has since increased to 33 State societies.^[2]