A great victory and humiliating defeat The War of 1812 , fought between the emergent United States of America and its former master Britain was a scrappy indecisive affair in which both sides could legitimately claim significant victories. It was overshadowed-so far as the British were concerned-by the struggle to defeat Napoleon's First Empire principally in Europe but in a conflict which had global implications including the real threat of invasion. At the first restoration of the Bourbon monarchy several British regiments-previously part of Wellington's Peninsular Army-were sent to America to continue the fight. The war included an abortive attempt to invade Canada and the burning of Washington, but the American forces under Jackson were by 1815 strongly established in a defensive position before New Orleans. There, as a result of fine leadership and resolution on the part of the Americans and poor generalship but no lack of courage on behalf of the British, Andrew Jackson and his amateur soldiers inflicted a bloody defeat on the assaulting 'professional' redcoats which set-since it was essentially the final major engagement-the tone of the entire war.