On this day in 1812, the U.S. declared war on Great Britain, starting the War of 1812, which persisted until February 17, 1815, when Congress ratified the Treaty of Ghent. 1812 was not a particularly active year for patents, with just 29 issued (compared to 348359 issued in 2023). Most related to mundane things like curing leather or ovens, but one may have presaged the impending war. U.S. Patent No. X1700 issued April 2, 1812, to Edward Clark: