The War of 1812 / [compilation, A & E Television Networks].

The first episode, "First invasion : the War of 1812," depicts how only 30 years after winning the independence, the upstart United States waged another war with Great Britain. Motivated by the high-seas capture of American sailors and the desire to annex Canadian lands, President Madison declared war. Thanks to the aim of a lone sniper, the skill of Andrew Jackson, the fortitude of the people of Baltimore, and the events of September 11, 1814, America would triumph again, ensuring the survival of the fledgling nation. "Save our history: The Star-Spangled Banner" recaptures the events that led Francis Scott Key to write the song which would become our national anthem. This song was written at the Battle of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812.

In volume two, "The Battle of New Orleans" shows how General Andrew Jackson led a motley group of Creoles, freeborn blacks, local Native Americans and poorly armed frontiersmen to defeat the British army effectively ending the War of 1812, while "Andrew Jackson: A Man for the People" explores the life of Andrew Jackson, known as "Old Hickory", during his Presidency, which he won on the strength of a reputation earned during the War of 1812. "The Ironclads" examines the development of the iron clad warship, which represented a radical advance over all earlier ships, effectively rendering the wooden navies of the world obsolete overnight. "Surviving an 1812 Battleship" provides a look at what ordinary sailors faced when engaging the enemy inside an 1812 battleship.

MPAA rating: Not rated.

Narrator(s)/host(s), Edward Herrmann [First invasion], Roger Mudd [The Star-Spangled Banner], Paul Savior [Behind the scenes], Roger Mudd, Peter Coyote [Frontier, the decisive battles: the battle of New Orleans], Monte Markham [Andrew Jackson, The great ships], Roger Daltrey [Surviving an 1812 battleship].