1. The American Revolution, 1812, and Canadian Identities
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2. Colonial Anger
In 1775, the American Revolution broke out in the Thirteen Colonies Many were angry that they were being taxed without representation But they also were angered by the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and the Quebec Act of 1764 Those two laws blocked colonists from settling west of the Appalachian Mountains

3. The Quebecois Revolution?
In 1775, George Washington sent a message to Quebec trying to convince them to join the revolution He believed that because they had recently been conquered by the British, Quebec would join the revolution An American army was sent to Quebec City to try and capture it, believing they would be welcomed as liberators But they were instead seen as invaders Why do you think this was the case?

4. Quebec Stays with the British
The British had treated Quebec with respect, allowing it to maintain its culture, language, and religion through the Quebec Act The Quebec Act also expanded Quebec’s borders Despite promising to be liberators, the Americans made no promises to preserve Quebec’s rights and culture like the British had Ultimately, the attempted American invasion of Quebec brought it closer to rest of Britain and remaining separate from America

5. A United Divided Country
During and after the American Revolution, many Loyalists fled from the colonies to Quebec Loyalists were people in the Thirteen Colonies who remained loyal to Britain Americans who supported the revolution, called Patriots, would attack loyalists and their property, believing they were traitors In all, over 43,000 loyalists settled in Quebec These new residents disliked the French and refused to adjust to their culture This caused the British to divide Quebec into English-speaking Upper Canada and French- speaking Lower Canada What part of modern Canada do you see reflected here?

6. Attacks on Loyalists

7. A Matter of Respect
This war started because American merchant ships were constantly being stopped by British ships searching for deserters, who were to be brought back to work for the British Navy But many American sailors were mistakenly captured and forced to work on British ships This angered Americans, who believed it was because Britain did not respect America as an independent country

8. Impressment
Do you think this is illustration by an American or a British person? Why?

9. War Hawks
But another reason for the war was land; Americans wanted access to the cheap farmland that was available in Upper Canada They also believed that British North America was allied with the Native people that were resisting westward expansion A group called the war hawks convinced James Madison, the US president to invade Upper Canada, starting the War of 1812
Henry Clay, a notable war hawk

10. The War of 1812
Ultimately, neither side in the war gained any major advantage or new territory, resulting in status quo ante bellum, meaning that the borders between America and British North America stayed the same Both sides won battles, so it is often called “the war nobody won” However, it did have many important effects for how the people of British North America saw themselves

11. A New Nation?
During some battles in the war, English and French speaking people fought side-by-side against the Americans
In Upper Canada, the idea of the ‘militia myth’ emerged
This was the idea that the militia of Upper Canada, fighters who were not professional soldiers, were primarily responsible for defending against the Americans
While this was not true (only 4000 militia compared to over 48,000 British soldiers involved), this idea helped to develop a form of nationalism that was distinct from Britain
Thus, many residents of British North America began to feel a new identity that was distinct from their home country