The Main Event and the People Who Fought

The Main Event The War of 1812 lasted until 1815 Neither side made significant progress Both sides witnessed the destruction of their armies Neither side won, but we did burn down the President’s house (White House)

Those Who Fought Four groups fought for the British against the Americans Regulars First Nations Allies Long Term Local Troops Militia

Life of a Solider Extremely well trained Regular Troops Militia Extremely well trained Excelled at taking and carrying out orders Able to stay calm Very few available in Canada as they were fighting wars in Europe Amateur soldiers- civilians who lived in the area Called on in times of war Poorly trained Badly equipped Only served for periods of time- no extended duty

Sir Isaac Brock Arrived in Upper Canada in 1802 1811 served as commander of British in Upper Canada and the colony’s administrator Skilled military strategists Ally of Tecumseh The Hero of Upper Canada he died defending Niagara from the American invasion

Brock’s Strategy He knew that the only way to move troops and supplies quickly in Upper Canada was by water and the colony depended on the flow of supplies from the St Lawrence River Took steps to control the Great Lakes before the war broke out the Key to wining the War!!!

Turning Point The second and third years of war consisted of attacks back and forth across the boarder Neither side made any progress The major turning point came in 1814 when Napoleon abdicated the throne and the wars came to an end Britain was now able to send more regular troops to Canada

Charles de Salaberry Oct 1813 an American force attempted to capture Montreal by traveling up the Chateauguay River but locals alerted the British With 1000 men, Charles de Salaberry defended Montreal against 4000 Americans They barricaded the River and pretended to have more men The Americas fell for it and retreated

Burn It To The Ground!!! The President’s house came under attack August 1814, when 4500 British soldiers marched to Washington Only militia were guarding The British burned the President’s house to the ground as well as other public buildings After, the President’s house was rebuilt and painted white-White House

Bombs Bursting in Air The Star Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key after the witnessed the bombardment of Fort McHenry September 7, 1814 Baltimore British relentlessly bombed Fort Henry, but Americans stood firm with bombs bursting overhead until the British retreated

The End By summer 1814, it was clear that both side of the war should stop the fighting and end the war One of the main reasons for war was not even an issues anymore and Napoleon had abdicated Britain's attack on American ships British were exhausted from war with everyone

Treaty of Ghent In the Belgium town of Ghent August 1814, delegates from Britain and the US sat down to make peace The Treaty of Ghent took affect Feb 1815 after it had been ratified by the US and Britain Treaty restored things to pre-war conditions Boarder lines left for future debate

Shocker!!! First Nations groups were left out of all treaty negotiations and were not considered in the peace talks Even though they were a vital part of the war First Nations were relying on the British to help promote their interests against expansion Could it have been different if Britain beat the Americans?