Event of 1814: To 1814-09-06, War of 1812 – Engagements on Lake Huron result in British victory

Background. Following the 1812 declaration of war, the North West Company supported British efforts. British forces captured Fort Mackinac in July 1812, maintaining control through 1813 despite American attempts to regain Detroit. The Americans won the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813, but British naval superiority on Lake Huron remained intact, securing the region for their Native American allies.

American Expedition. In 1814, Americans launched an expedition to recover Mackinac, aiming to retake territory affirmed by the Jay Treaty. After failing to recapture Fort Mackinac in August, they attempted to starve the garrison by destroying the supply schooner Nancy and blockading the island with two gunboats. The British garrison faced starvation if not resupplied before winter.

British Victory. Accounts vary regarding the fate of the American gunboats, with some stating they were forced back by storms or left to capture fur trade vessels. In the first week of September 1814, a party of Royal Navy sailors and Mackinac garrison soldiers captured both gunboats by surprise, leaving the British in control of Lake Huron until the war ended.