Adapted with credit to L. Templin

THE WAR OF 1812

Some describe the War of 1812 as Canada’s War of Independence

For the Americans it was a war of conquest

For Canadians it was a war of survival

Between 1812 and 1814, Canada won the right to not be American

CANADA AND THE WAR OF 1812

Louis XVI (France) helped the Americans with their revolution and then faced a revolution in France

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

A General named Napoleon Bonaparte eventually seized power and set France on a European war of conquest.

PRE-WAR EVENTS

To sum up…

The French Revolution led to the Napoleonic Wars of 1793-1815

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

Why would they want BNA?

THE WAR OF 1812

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.

“FREE TRADE AND SAILORS’ RIGHTS”

British ship HMS Leopold fired on the Chesapeake and killed several men

British boarded the ship and arrested four so-called deserters

Two were American citizens

Britain apologized and released the Americans

The damage had been done

THE CHESAPEAKE INCIDENT

American history books usually portray the United States as the underdog in 1812.

Why? Because they were up against the formidable British Empire

This isn’t entirely accurate. Great Britain was tied up in Europe, and Canada lay poorly defended and exposed.

The Canadians didn’t flock over to the American side of the fight

A MERE MATTER OF MARCHING

How could the Americans possibly lose?

Population of the United States (USA): 7.5 million

Population of Upper Canada: less than 80,000

The entire population of the British North American (BNA) colonies combined was less than 1 million

CONSIDER THE REAL ODDS:

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

WAR!

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 border between the USA and BNA (Canada)

THE WAR IN UPPER CANADA (ONTARIO)

GENERAL ISAAC BROCK

Brock was the man in charge of defending BNA 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

TECUMSEH

Tecumseh was a Shawnee chief who was allied with the British

Stop American expansion into Native territory

To secure a sovereign First Nations Confederacy in the interior.

Tecumseh brought together dozens of different Nations (Pan-Native Alliance)

Fought alongside the British for tactical reasons, not loyalty.

PAN-NATIVE ALLIANCE

Brock dressed Canadian militia in the red coats of the regular army to make them seem like they were professional soldiers

Tecumseh marched warriors three times through the trees in front of Fort Detroit

American estimates of Tecumseh’s forces ranged as high as 3000 warriors

In fact, Tecumseh had fewer than 600 men on hand.

THE DETROIT BLUFF

No attack was needed. General Hull was so scared of an massacre that he caved almost immediately

All it took were a few cannon shots and a threatening ultimatum from Brock.

THE CAPTURE OF DETROIT

August 18, 1812 - Brock and Tecumseh capture DetroitOctober 13, 1812 - Battle of Queenston Heights –

Americans ultimately pushed back, but Brock diesApril 27, 1813 – General Dearborn (USA) captures York

(Toronto)June 6, 1813 – Battle of Stoney Creek – American advance

stopped coldJune 24, 1813 – Battle of Beaver Dams – Americans turned

backJuly 31, 1813 – Americans re-capture York (Toronto)October 5, 1813 – Battle of Moraviantown – Tecumseh diesOctober 25, 1813 – Battle of Chateauguay – American

invasion force defeated by French and English CanadiansNovember 11, 1813 – Battle of Crysler’s Farm – Americans

defeatedJuly 25, 1814 – Battle of Lundy’s Lane – a confusing and

bloody conflict that ends in a stalemate (though both sides claim they won)

August 1814 – British capture and burn Washington

SIGNIFICANT BATTLES (BACK AND FORTH…BACK AND FORTH)

THE BURNING OF YORK (TORONTO 1813)

American warships bore down upon the town of York on Lake Ontario’s shore

York was the capital of Upper Canada and was weakly defended

The British were also developing a naval base at York

British retreated but Americans were unsure they had given up the fight and stayed in position only 400 yards from the garrison

British sent fire to an ammunition magazine which exploded

Devastating for American troops who retaliated by sacking the town

Why is the White House white? Because we burned it, that’s why! Or at least, the British did.

In direct retaliation for what the Americans had done in York, the British captured and burned Washington D.C.

The attack came as a complete surprise

President Madison and his defending army ran away so fast the battle became known, sarcastically, as “a race”

The President’s own residence was badly damaged and the walls scorched

The building was hastily rebuilt and the exterior painted over with whitewash. It became known as “the white house”

BURN, WASHINGTON! BURN! (1814)

The Americans think they won it. Really.

But…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

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

So were the people of BNA

The Americans had refused to allow either at the bargaining table.

SO WHO WON?

TREATY OF GHENT (BELGIUM 1814)

BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

The Americans reaffirmed their sovereignty

Territory went back to respective nations

British North America was not annexedCanada would not have existed if the Americans had won

The First Nations lost

THE FINAL SCORE