The War of 1812

Background -Throughout history England and France have been constantly at battle with one another -During this time Canada belonged to Britain (colony) -The United States had a good trading relationship with France, but their relationship with England had deteriorated

Outbreak of the War By 1812, Britain was at war with France The USA wanted to continue trade with France (supplies ) but the British set up a blockade to stop the trade The Americans wanted the British to stop the blockade but they refused On June 19 th, 1812 President Madison of the USA declared war against Britain

The Northern Frontier

The fight was on both land and at sea Canada became a target because the USA wanted the British out of North America

Seizure of American Sailors by the British

Blacks Participating in the War The British wanted to harm the American economy by taking away their slave labour. Black Americans (refugees) were convinced to fight against their own country by the promise of freedom, equality and land in Canada Thousands of blacks volunteered as spies, guides, messengers and labourers They came from Delaware, Chesapeake Bay and Virginia

The British Slave Trade The British were not happy with the slave trade and they freed many American slaves after they won battles. Many slaves also ran away on their own and joined the British Americans thought that the runaways were supplying the British with intelligence on American military activities.

William Hammond, an officer of the Royal Marines, trained the slaves in combat. They were known as the Colonial Marines. Slaves proved they could fight. The black soldiers knew the information needed to fight the Americans, such as they knew where to go. Later the Colonial Marines joined with the Second Battalion, forming a Third Battalion called The Royal and Colonial Marines

The Arrival of the Chesapeake Blacks to NS When the war ended, nearly 2,000 Black refugees arrived in NS. They came between 1812 and Many of the Refugees fled to NS to find freedom because if they stayed in the USA they would have been put back into slavery.

The majority of Nova Scotia did not welcome the refugees as equal citizens Authorities constantly tried to send them back to America or to Sierra Leone, Africa The majority of the refugees were unwilling to be relocated to America, Africa, or anywhere that slavery still existed Despite this, approximately 100 refugees were relocated to Trinidad in 1821 due to the efforts of Lord Dalhousie

In 1815, the economy in NS dropped and the first to lose their jobs were the Refugees. They were unable to support themselves and had to rely on government rations. There was also an outbreak of smallpox The government helped with the smallpox, but they did not want any more Refugees to come to NS.

Settlements in NS Preston and Hammonds Plains were chosen as the sites for the major settlements. These were isolated communities Others were Refugee Hill (Halifax), Cobequid Road and many more… In Preston, they were close to the Halifax market to sell goods, but a lot of the land was too small and barren They set up people to construct cabins for the town. They had 500 settlers and most of the homes were poor quality.

Preston & Hammonds Plains

Lord Dalhousie, the Lieutenant-Governor of NS, encouraged the Refugees to clear their land, by offering them seeds for potatoes, cabbage and turnip. The former slaves found it difficult to adjust to the NS harsh winters, as they were from the south. They suffered from many illnesses, such as colds, flu and pneumonia Also, the cold caused many crops to fail and they had to go the government for assistance. They felt trapped in NS, because they could not leave as they feared being put back into slavery

Lord Dalhousie

Emigration to Trinidad In 1821, the government had sent app. 100 Refugees to Trinidad, where they would not be put back into slavery. Some had volunteered and some were sent due to an outbreak of scarlet fever in Hammonds Plains.

Those who Stayed Even though the refugees were given land, it was not arable enough to sustain themselves and their families To help make ends meet, they: Worked on ships Worked as carpenters Sold hand made goods Worked various forms of day labor

The Pockwock Watershed One of North America's most modern water treatment plants.

The Fire Department Hammonds Plains had the first black volunteer department in Canada.