A two-hour film about a war that should never have happened – yet almost broke the United States apart.
For WNED and WETA (Florentine Films/Hott Productions). Scripting and Production funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
For two and a half years, Americans fought Against the British, Canadian colonists, and native nations. In the years to come, the War of 1812 would be celebrated in some nations and forgotten in others. But it is a war worth remembering—a struggle that threatened the existence of Canada, then divided the United States so deeply that the nation almost broke apart. Some of its battles and heroes became legendary, yet its blunders and cowards were just as prominent. The film shows how the glories of war became enshrined in history – how failures are quickly forgotten – how inconvenient truths are ignored forever.
With stunning re-enactments, evocative animation and the incisive commentary of key experts, The War of 1812 presents the conflict that forged the destiny of a continent.
Watch the trailer, watch the entire film or visit The War of 1812 on PBS.