The War of 1812

Canada and the War of 1812

This year is the 200th anniversaryNot many people remember it at all,

especially in AmericaThe War of 1812 was basically Canada’s War

of IndependenceFor the Americans it was a war of conquestFor Canadians it was a war of survivalBetween 1812 and 1814, Canada won the

right to not be American

The Lead-up to War

Louis XVI helped the Americans with their American Revolution was now in the middle of a revolution of his own.

During the French Revolution Louis and his wife Marie Antoinette had their heads chopped off by a guillotine

A ruthless little general named Napoleon seized power and launched France on a European war of conquest.

The War of 1812

What is important to realize, from a Canadian perspective, is this: The French Revolution

led to the Napoleonic Wars of 1793-1815

The War of 1812 was the North American phase of this conflict

With Britain bogged down in Europe fighting Napoleon, the Americans saw their chance at capturing Canada – and they took it.

“Free trade and sailors’ rights”

The Americans also had some genuine grievances against the British The British were preventing France from trading

with the United States The British Navy had also asserted its right to board

foreign ships and press any British citizens they found into military service. In 1807, they fired upon a U.S. vessel, the Chesapeake,

killing several men, before boarding the ship and arresting four so-called deserters – two of whom were American citizens. Britain later apologized, and released the Americans but the damage had been done

A Mere Matter of Marching

Americans say they were the underdogs in 1812.

Why? Because they were up against the British Empire!

BUT! Great Britain was tied up in Europe, and Canada lay poorly defended and exposed.

Consider the real odds: Population of the United States: 7.5 million Population of Upper Canada: less than 80,000 The entire population of the British North American

colonies combined was less than 1 million

How could the Americans possibly lose?

War!

On June 18, 1812 the United States of America declared war on Great Britain – and made immediate plans for the Conquest of Canada

Remember Canada didn’t exist as a separate country at this point

The War in Upper Canada (Ontario)

The original Loyalist population of Upper Canada had been swamped by an influx of American settlers whose true loyalty remained in doubt

Fortunately (for Canada) the U.S. forces were very poorly organized and launched scattered attacks rather than focusing their approach

Most of the battles took place along the boarder between the United States and the British North American Colonies (Canada)

General Isaac BrockBrock was the man in

charge of defending the colony from the American invaders

He was a brilliant strategist and an inspiring leader

Isaac Brock was long remembered as the fallen hero and saviour of Upper Canada

TecumsehTecumseh was a Shawnee

chief that was allied with the British

His main goals were to Stop American expansion into

Native territory To secure a sovereign First

Nations Confederacy in the interior.

He brought together dozens of different Nations and fought along side the British for tactical reasons, not loyalty.

Bluffing their way to victory

The Americans were confident that the Canadians would flock over to the American side of the fight – but they didn’t!

Brock had an idea – there weren’t very many British regular soldiers so he dressed Canadian militia in the red coats of the regular army to make them seem like they were professional soldiers

He also knew that the Americans were terrified of the Natives and Brock and Tecumseh used this to their advantage Tecumseh paraded his men in front of the American

Garrison then led them through the woods to join the end of the line again. Then they marched past again. Tecumseh marched the same men by three times and the Americans never caught on

Their estimates of Tecumseh’s forces ranged as high as 3000 warriors. In fact, Tecumseh had fewer than 600 men on hand.

Summer 1812 VIDEO(28:00)

Describe the Battle of DetroitWhat happened in the Niagara Region?What happened in the Montreal region?

Battles

April 27, 1813 – General Dearborn captures York (Toronto)

June 6, 1813 – Battle of Stoney Creek – American advance stopped cold

June 24, 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams – Americans turned back

July 31, 1813 – Americans re-capture York (Toronto)

October 5, 1813 – Battle of Moraviantown – Tecumseh dies

September 1813 The Americans Invade Canada – Again (1:04:00)

What happened during the American’s invasion of Quebec?

Why were the battles of Chatteauguay and Chrysler’s Farm so important to Canadian mythology?

Describe Laura Secord’s legend.

http://www.historicalatlas.ca/website/hacolp/defining_episodes/military/UNIT_39/index.htm

Summer 1814 The American Capital Burns(1:20:30)

What happened to American slaves? How did it impact the Americans?

Describe the events surrounding the attack of Washington DC

How did the British legitimize burning down Washington?

What happened to the American economy? Why did they trade with the enemy?

What Next?

Britain attempted peace talks (in Europe)Natives not invitedFailed invasions of New York, Baltimore and

New Orleans by the British

1815 Peace(1:47:00)

What conditions were met for peace?Why did both countries celebrate thinking

victory?How did it impact the Natives?Who do you think won?

So Who Won?

Do you want to know the strange thing about the War of 1812? The Americans think they won it. Really.

Do you want to know what’s even stranger? They’re right. Not in a military sense of course.

On the battlefield, the Americans lost. They didn’t even come close to their goal – the conquest of Canada

But war is after all a political tool, and what counts in the end are the long term results, not individual heroics

The United States lost a war and won a conference.

Britain’s First Nation allies were completely shut out of the negotiations

So were the Canadians The Americans had refused

to allow either at the bargaining table.

The United States came away with their sovereignty reaffirmed

But... we did burn down the White House!

The Final Score

Who won? Who lost? The final score stands like this:

The Americans won The Canadians broke even The First Nations lost