War of 1812

Canada and the WarThe War of 1812 was Canada’s War of

Independence• For the British:

• it was an annoying distraction at a time when it was fighting the French Emperor Napoleon.

• For the American’s:• It was a war of conquest

• For the Canadian’s:• One of survival• Between 1812 – 1814, Canada won the right to not be American

What goes around comes around…

Louis XVI Helped the Americans with their American

Revolution Now, he finds himself swept away by a

revolution of his own Erupted in France in 1789 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.

Important to Note: 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 said to themselves, “This is our chance to capture Canada!”

“Free trade and sailors’ rights!”

O The Americans also had some genuine grievances with the BritishO The British had placed France under a naval

blockade, preventing France from trading with the United StatesO Britain captured nearly 400 American vessels,

often within sight of the U.S. coast.

Continued…O The British Navy had also asserted its

right to board foreign ships and press any British citizens they found into military service.O 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.

Chesapeake

America and 1812O American history books usually portray the

United States as the underdog in 1812. O Why?

O Because they were up against the British Empire

O This isn’t entirely accurate.O Great Britain was tied up in Europe, leaving

Canada poorly defended and exposed.

There’s more…O Consider the real odds:

O Population of the United States: 7.5 millionO Population of Upper Canada: less than 800

000O The entire population of the British North

American colonies combined: less than 1 million

O How could the Americans possibly lose?

March away!O Thomas Jefferson, now retired, advised

President Madison that the conquest of Canada would be “a mere matter of marching.”

O Henry Clay, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, boasted that the Kentucky militia alone would be enough to deliver Canada.

O Wasn’t that the dream of every Canadian to one day become a citizen of the United States?

WAR!O On June 18, 1812, the United States

declared war on Great Britain and made immediate plans for the Conquest of Canada

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

The War in Upper Canada

O The original Loyalist population of Upper Canada had been swamped by a flood of American settlers whose true loyalty remained in doubt.

O Would the newcomers side with America? Or Canada?

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

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

Two Master TacticiansO General Isaac Brock

O The man in charge of defending the colony from the American invaders

O A brilliant strategist and an inspiring leader

O Was long remembered as the fallen hero and savior of Upper Canada.

Tactician #2O Tecumseh

O A Shawnee chief that was allied with the British

O Main Goals:O Stop American expansion into

Native territoryO Secure a self-governing First

Nations Confederacy in the interior.

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

O Brock held Tecumseh in high regardO Called him “a sagacious (wise) and gallant

(gracious) warrior”O Tecumseh, in turn, admired Brock’s fierce

determination

O Legend has it that when they first met face-to-face, Tecumseh turned to his men and said, “This is a man!”

O Together, as friends, allies, and equals, the British general and the Shawnee chief would save Upper Canada

“Join us!”O On July 12, 1812, American General William

Hull marched 2 500 men out of the fortified walls of Detroit and into Upper Canada.

O The invasion had begun.

O Hull was confident that the Canadians would flock over to the American side. O They didn’t!

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

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

Garrison O Then, led them through the woods to join the end of

the line againO Then, marched pass again.

O Tecumseh marched the same men by three times and the Americans never caught on

O American’s estimated Tecumseh’s forces ranged as high as 3000 warriors. He had fewer than 600 men.

The Capture of DetroitO The Americans didn’t know what hit

them.O At their post on Mackinac Island, at

the northern tip of Lake Huron, they woke up to find themselves surrounded by British soldiers, French-Canadian voyageurs and some 300 Native Warriors.

O The fort surrendered without a shot being fired.

The Capture of York (Toronto)

O November 1812O The Americans had gained control of

Lake OntarioO The following spring, a fleet of

American vessels landed at York, the village capital of Upper CanadaO More than 1 700 American soldiers

poured ashore.O British troops were slaughtered on the

beaches

YorkO The rest fled, under the command of Roger Sheaffe – but

not before setting the York munitions (weapons) building on fire.O They did not want their stock of gunpowder to fall into

American hands.O The explosion killed dozens of Americans, including their

leader, General Zebulon Pike.O In retaliation, the American troops spent the next few days

looting and pillaging the town.O Sheaffe, who took over when Brock died, was denounced

“cowardice” even though he both denied the Americans weaponries and had lived to fight another day.

Laura Secord: “The Americans are coming!”

O The real Laura Secord O looked nothing like the frail Southern belle

that adorns boxes of Laura Secord Chocolates.O She was a pioneer and a mother of five who

husband had been wounded and left for dead during the Battle of Queenstone Heights.

O She had gone to the battlefield, found him, and taken him home. O While nursing him back to health, the Americans

arrived and took command of their homestead.

Laura SecordO She overheard the officers discussing their

plans for a surprise attack at Beaver DamsO The following morning she set off on an epic

32 kilometer trek across the war zone to warn the British.

O After being tipped off by Laura, Lieutenant James FitzGibbon set up an ambush at Beaver Dams (now Thorold, Ontario)

O The Americans surrendered and almost 500 were taken prisoner.

Burn, Washington! Burn!O Why is the White House white?

O Because we burned it, that’s why.O Well, the British did.O In August 1814, and in direct retaliation for what the Americans

had done in York, the British captured and burned Washington, D.C.

O The attack came as a complete surpriseO President Madison and most of his defending army ran away so

fast the battle became know, sarcastically, as “a race”.O The British spent the next two days ransacking the U.S.

capital and torching the public buildings.O The President’s own residence was badly damaged and the

walls scorchedO It was rebuilt and the exterior was painted with whitewash.O It became know as “the white house”.

Battle of New OrleansO You know that American song about how they

fired their funs and the British “started runnin’”?O They’re referring to the Battle of New Orleans

O Occurred on January 8, 1815O The Americans won the Battle of New Orleans

O Under the command of Colonel Andrew JacksonO However, this battle happened after the Treaty

of Ghent was signed by U.S. and Britain on December 24, 1814 to end the War of 1812 O So, this battle meant very little

So, Who Won?O Americans thought they won.

O They’re right, but not in the military sense.O They didn’t even come close to their goal – the

conquest of CanadaO War is, after all, a political tool

O The U.S. lost a war and won a conferenceO Britain’s First Nation allies were completely shut out

of the negotiationsO So were the CanadiansO The Americans refused to allow either at the

bargaining tableO The U.S. came away with their sovereignty

(authority) reaffirmed

The Final Score

OThe Americans wonOThe Canadians broke even

OThe First Nations lost