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October 2, 2012
In an attempt to rebrand Canada as a warrior nation, the Government of Canada is
promoting the War of 1812. The Tories have spent $4.5 million on advertising
alone.
It's a bad choice. President James Madison declared war on Great Britain, not
Canada, for good reasons. Britain regularly boarded American ships and
conscripted sailors. Britain regularly blocked American trade with Europe,
especially with Britain's French enemies.
Few Canadians fought in the war of 1812; not just because Canada didn't exist as
a county. The land that was to become Canada was populated by Americans in Upper
Canada (now Ontario), French in Lower Canada (Quebec) and New Englanders
(Atlantic Provinces).
Americans flooded into Upper Canada because of lower taxes, writes Stephen
Marche in Walrus magazine. In a tactical move, Britain attracted immigrants by
reducing taxes in Canada.
French settlers in Lower Canada had no quarrel with the U.S. The Canadiennes had
no love of the British, either, after their defeat on the Plains of Abraham.
Maritime Canadians had bonds with their counterparts in New England through
trade, traditions, and kinship. In fact, American New Englanders were opposed to
the War of 1812. The U.S. declaration of war with Britain was barely passed due
to support of states such as Kentucky.
The heroes in the defense of Upper Canada were not Canadian. British General
Isaac Brock reluctantly took his post in Canada 10 years before the war. If he
had his way, he would have been back home where all the action was in the fight
against Napoleon. The great Indian leader, Tecumseh, was not Canadian. His goal
was to unite aboriginal tribes from the Great Lakes to Georgia. Tecumseh's
alliance with Brock was one of convenience, not in defense of Canada.
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The victory that the Tories would have us believe was due to the bungling of
an American general. "Every Canadian city should build a state to Brigadier
General William Hull," says Marche. Hull's incompetence is what sparked
resistance to the occupying U.S. troops.
But for Hull, Americans in Upper Canada could have welcomed soldiers as
conquering heroes. When former president Thomas Jefferson claimed that "the
acquisition of Canada, . . . will be a mere matter of marching," he wasn't
boasting about military superiority. He knew that they would likely receive
a warm welcome. Unlike the United Empire Loyalists who had fled to Upper
Canada from the U.S. for political reasons, recent emigrants left the U.S.
for economic reasons and had no strong allegiance to Canada.
If it weren't for the alcoholic General Hull, American forces would have
been welcomed by their fellow countrymen in Upper Canada; or if not
welcomed, they would have been received indifferently.
But General Hull set loose his troops on innocent and vulnerable civilians,
burning farms, looting and pillaging villages. Understandably, citizens
didn't see Hull's forces as liberators but as savage invaders. Upper
Canadians no longer welcomed the occupying troops and that was the turning
point.
Given the large number of Americans in Upper Canada, it's more properly
viewed as an American colony, not British, explains Historian James Laxer.
In this light, the War of 1812 is a "war of independence" from the U.S., not
a victory for Canada.
The Harper government's chest-thumping over the War of 1812 is a misguided
attempt to portray our military prowess. Although the war was significant in
the formation of Canada, to claim it as a victory is a distortion of
history. Canadians will courageously fight when attacked but we didn't fight
in the War of 1812, didn't win it.
David Charbonneau is the owner of Thompson Studio
He can be reached at
dcharbonneau13@shaw.ca
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