Exhibitions

1812: A Nation Emerges

June 15, 2012 – January 27, 2013

We Owe Allegiance to No Crown, John Archibald Woodside (1781–1852)

National Portrait Gallery
8th and G Streets, NW
Washington, DC

2nd Floor, Northwest

See on Map Floor Plan

This exhibition tells the story of the war that one historian called, “the second American Revolution.” Through portraits and objects, it explores key people who influenced the turn of events, including President James Madison and Dolley Madison, General Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and the powerful Indian leader Tecumseh. The exhibition also follows the stories of soldiers, slaves, financiers, industrialists, artists, architects, Native Americans, and women. The victory at New Orleans became a national holiday and added to a growing sense of American nationalism. The epic battles and the aftermath known as “the era of good feelings” are central elements of this story, linked by the biographies of the extraordinary and colorful leaders whose lives shaped its direction.

Related catalogue