Remembering the War of 1812 — and Utah’s Connection to It

Welcome to the Utah Society of the War of 1812. We are a hereditary society dedicated to remembering the men and women who served the United States during the War of 1812 and preserving their stories for future generations.

Our Society was organized in September 2014, two hundred years after the defense of Fort McHenry and the events that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became The Star-Spangled Banner.

Although the battles of the War of 1812 were fought far from what would eventually become Utah, the story of that war came west. We have identified sixteen War of 1812 veterans who later lived and died in Utah.

Among them was Martin Harris, who served as a teamster during the War of 1812 and later became a prominent figure in the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who later settled in Utah. His story is one example of the remarkable connections between the War of 1812 generation and the people who later helped settle the American West.

Could one of those stories be part of your family?

Membership in the General Society of the War of 1812 is based upon descent from qualifying participants in the War of 1812. If you have an ancestor who served in the Army, Navy, Revenue Marine, privateer service, or in another qualifying capacity during the war, you may be eligible for membership.

You don’t need to have all the genealogical work completed before contacting us. Our Registrar can help you determine whether your family history may qualify.