The War of 1812

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The War of 1812 was fought between the US and its former colonial ruler, Britain, from 1812 to 1814. During the war, the US tried to invade Canada, which was controlled by Britain at the time. The Americans believed that they would be able to easily overrun Canada, given the fact that the population of the US was much larger than that of Canada. Furthermore, when the war began, Britain was at war with Napoleon Bonaparte of France, and was unable to spare a large number of troops to fight another war in North America. American politicians also hoped that many of Canada’s residents would welcome a change of rule. Canada’s inhabitants included French-speaking Quebecois who had been conquered by the British about 60 years earlier, as well as many Americans who had recently immigrated to Canada.

Despite the apparent advantage of the Americans, the British and Canadian soldiers and militiamen in Canada rallied to protect the territory from the American invaders. Sir Isaac Brock, the British commander famously went on the offensive when the war began, capturing Detroit. He was later killed in battle. The American war effort was undermined by the fact that the US did not yet have a strong national army. The Americans had to rely heavily on state militias that were not always willing to participate in an offensive war.

The people who fought against the American invasion included a number of Canadian-born commanders, and at least one prominent French-speaking commander from Quebec. Even though the War of 1812 was really fought between Britain and the US it is often remembered in Canada as a war between the US and Canada. The war quickly became a source of patriotic pride in Canada, especially in Upper Canada . The 200-year anniversary of the War of 1812 was marked with a great deal of fanfare in Canada in 2012.

The War of 1812 ended without a clear victory for either side. Neither the British nor the Americans won any territory as a result of the conflict. The long-term result of the war was a lasting peace between the US and Britain . After the War of 1812, nether country had any interest in further military conflict, and both maintained peaceful relations. In the case of Canada and US, there was a great deal of cross border trade that benefited both countries.

This account of the War of 1812 was written by George Taylor Denison III . Denison came from a prominent family of early settlers in Upper Canada . His grandfather, George Taylor Denison I , fought in the War of 1812, and George Taylor III’s account of the war is partly based on stories from his grandfather and other veterans of the war. George Taylor I emigrated to Canada from Yorkshire as a child with his father, Captain John Denison. At the time, the province of Upper Canada had only recently been created by the British. Captain John obtained a significant amount of land in Ontario, thanks to his friendship with local administrator Peter Russell.

When Cpt. John died in 1824, he left most of his property to his son George. George also acquired more land through his marriage to the daughter of Richard Lippincott. George became one of the wealthiest people in Upper Canada. George III was the son of one of George I’s sons, George II. Among the vast holdings of the large Denison family was the area that is now Kensington Market in Toronto.