Tensions mount between the United States and Great Britain. War is inevitable. The British general Isaac Brock sends troops to take Fort Mackinac, leading to the first victory of the war. Brock signs an agreement with Tecumseh, forging an alliance between the British and Canada's First Nations.

Sir George Prevost takes command of the British and Canadians. The attack on Fort Meigs fails. Tecumseh's reputation grows when he saves the lives of prisoners. After their defeat at the Battle of Moraviantown and the Battle of Lake Erie, the British and their allies withdraw to Canada.

The two sides are locked in a stalemate on Lake Ontario. General Wilkinson descends the St. Lawrence River. The American advance is repulsed at the Battles of Châteauguay and Crysler's Farm. By the end of 1813, much of Canada has been laid waste by war but continues to resist the invaders.

There are bloody battles on the Niagara frontier. The British sail up Chesapeake Bay and burn public buildings in Washington. But events in Europe influence the end to the conflict. Canadians, Native Americans and the still young republic of the United States feel the effects of the war for years.