Editing 1812 (section)

=== January–March ===
* [[January 1]] – The ''[[Allgemeines bürgerliches Gesetzbuch]]'' (the Austrian [[civil code]]) enters into force in the [[Austrian Empire]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ÖNB-ALEX - Justizgesetzsammlung |url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=jgs&datum=10120003&seite=00000275 |access-date=2024-03-13 |website=alex.onb.ac.at}}</ref>
* [[January 19]] – [[Peninsular War]]: The French-held fortress of [[Ciudad Rodrigo]] [[Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo (1812)|is stormed]] by the [[Anglo-Portuguese Army]], under the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Earl of Wellington]].<ref>{{cite web | last=lipscombe | year=2019 | url=http://www.nick-lipscombe.net/Papers/Ciudad%20Rodrigo%20-%20A%20Paper.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209124616/http://www.nick-lipscombe.net/Papers/Ciudad%20Rodrigo%20-%20A%20Paper.pdf | archive-date=9 February 2019 | access-date=28 May 2021 | title=The Sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo 1810 & 1812}}</ref>
* [[February 7]] – The last [[1811–12 New Madrid earthquakes|New Madrid earthquake]] strikes [[New Madrid, Missouri]], with an estimated [[moment magnitude scale|moment magnitude]] of over 8.<ref>[http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1996AREPS..24..339J The Enigma of the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811–1812]. Johnston, A. C. & Schweig, E. S. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Volume 24, 1996, pp. 339–384. Available on SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)</ref> 
* [[February 12]] – [[Napoleon]] authorizes the usage of ''[[Mesures usuelles]]'', the basis of the [[metric system]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.industrie.gouv.fr/metro/aquoisert/metre.htm|title=Un historique du mètre|language=fr|author=Denis Février|publisher=Ministère de l'Economie, des Finances et de l'Industrie|access-date=2011-03-10}}</ref>
* [[February 13]] – The first Chilean newspaper ''[[Aurora de Chile]]'' deals with political philosophy, and stands in favor of the new national government.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Early Relations of the United States with Chile|author=John J. Johnson|journal=The Pacific Historical Review|volume=13|issue=3| pages=266|type = JSTOR|date=September 1944|doi=10.2307/3635952|jstor=3635952}}</ref>
* [[February 27]]
** [[Argentine War of Independence]]: [[Manuel Belgrano]] raises the [[Flag of Argentina]] (which he designed) in the city of [[Rosario]], for the first time.{{Cite book|title= Grandes protagonistas de la Historia Argentina: Manuel Belgrano|last= Luna|first= Félix|year= 2004|publisher=Grupo Editorial Planeta
|location= Argentina|page=77|language= es|isbn= 950-49-1247-8}}
** English poet [[Lord Byron]] gives his first address as a member of the British [[House of Lords]], in defense of [[Luddite]] violence against [[industrialism]], in his home county of [[Nottinghamshire]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/lords/1812/feb/27/frame-work-bill#S1V0021P0_18120227_HOL_7|title=Frame Work Bill. (Hansard, 27 February 1812)|website=[[Hansard|Parliamentary Debates (Hansard)]]|access-date=23 June 2023|archive-date=14 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230514082629/http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/lords/1812/feb/27/frame-work-bill#S1V0021P0_18120227_HOL_7|date=27 February 1812|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[February 24]] – Prussia and France sign the [[Treaty of Paris (24 February 1812)|Treaty of Paris]], a military alliance.<ref name=Koch>{{cite book |first=Hannsjoachim W. |last=Koch |title=A History of Prussia |publisher=Routledge |location=Oxford |orig-year=1978|pages=193–194 |year=2014}}</ref>
* [[March 14]] – Prussia and Austria sign the [[Treaty of Paris (14 March 1812)|Treaty of Paris]].<ref name=Koch/>
* [[March 15]] – [[Luddite]]s attack the [[wool]]-processing factory of [[Frank Vickerman]] in [[West Yorkshire]].
* [[March 16]]–[[April 6]] – [[Siege of Badajoz (1812)|Siege of Badajoz]] ([[Peninsular War]]): The [[Anglo-Portuguese Army]], under the [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Earl of Wellington]], besieges [[Badajoz]], Spain and forces the surrender of the French garrison.<ref>{{cite book | last=Fletcher | first=Ian | year=2001 | title=In Hell before Daylight: The Siege and Storming of the Castle of Badajoz, March–April 1812 | publisher=Spellmount Ltd. | isbn=1-873376-26-X}}</ref>
* [[March 19]] – The [[Cortes of Cádiz]] creates the first modern [[Spanish Constitution of 1812|Spanish constitution]].<ref>Thiessen, Heather. "Spain: Constitution of 1812." ''Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture'', vol. 5, p. 165. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons 1996.</ref>
* [[March 26]]
[[File:The Gerry-Mander Edit.png|120px|thumb|The original Gerrymander]]
** In the United States, the ''[[Boston Gazette]]'' prints a political cartoon coining the term ''[[Gerrymandering|Gerrymander]]'', after former [[Massachusetts]] [[Governor]] [[Elbridge Gerry]]'s approval (on February 11) of legislation creating oddly shaped electoral districts, designed to help incumbents win re-election.<ref>{{cite book|last=Griffith|first=Elmer|title=The Rise and Development of the Gerrymander |url={{Google books |plainurl=yes |id=6o2HAAAAMAAJ |page=73 }} |pages=72–73|location=Chicago |publisher=Scott, Foresman and Co |year=1907 |oclc=45790508}}</ref>
** The [[1812 Caracas earthquake]] destroys [[Caracas]], capital of [[Venezuela]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nacimiento de una nación; Terremoto de 1812|url=http://www.fpolar.org.ve/Encarte/fasciculo7/fasc0709.html|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060820151845/http://www.fpolar.org.ve/Encarte/fasciculo7/fasc0709.html |archivedate = August 20, 2006|language=spanish}}</ref>