Andrew Jackson and William Henry Harrison, the future seventh and ninth presidents respectively, achieved great acclaim during the War of 1812 for military successes. Jackson led a group of militia and others against British forces in the Battle of New Orleans, which took place between December 1814 and January 1815. Jackson led American forces to a stunning victory over the British.

General William Henry Harrison won the Battle of the Thames over the Shawnee Indian leader Tecumseh in 1813. Harrison originally achieved acclaim when, as the governor of the Indiana territory, he led a successful campaign against a group of Indians at the Battle of Tippecanoe.