This study, in line with the New Military History, is a social history, which seeks to shed light upon the lives of the average soldiers who made up the American armies during the War of 1812 and demonstrate that traditional studies of the War of 1812 have hitherto neglected a major defining aspect of the war. This dissertation examines every aspect of the military including recruitment, camp life, entertainment, combat, medical care, supplies, and the prisoner of war experience. The man in the ranks who served in the American armies was a versatile and hardy individual who carried the United States to victory on some fields and acted as the scapegoat for defeat on others. The majority of the soldiers who enlisted did so voluntarily and held deeply ingrained patriotic beliefs regarding the defense of the United States against British aggression. Four distinct types of soldiers existed in the American armies; militia units (both voluntary and drafted), United States volunteers, United States regulars and allied Indian warriors. The overall experiences of these different organizations varied very little in most areas. For example, all the troops were surprisingly well trained and all suffered from such problems as supply shortages and poor medical care. The military experience did differ however in a few vital areas. Discipline, self-perception and length of service separated the different organizations and made United States volunteers and regulars the more effective and desirable soldiers. The War of 1812 was the death knell for the state militia system and the beginning of America's volunteer military. With rapid coming and going of army commanders it was the enlisted man who carried on the war and remained the mainstay for the war effort. Because of this, the conditions within the army give us yet another lens through which to view the war and gain an understanding of why events occurred in the manner in which they did. This work also investigates the contributions of not only Native American warriors but also women and African Americans and demonstrates that Americans of all races, sexes and backgrounds participated in the defense of their country.