What was a lasting result of the War of 1812?
- Britain gave up all its North American colonies
- Canada became part of the United States
- Canada remained independent of the United States, and today’s border is partly an outcome of the war
- Quebec became an independent country
Answer: Canada remained independent of the United States, and today’s border is partly an outcome of the war
By 1814 the American attempt to conquer Canada had failed. The war ensured that Canada would remain independent of the United States, and the present-day Canada-U.S.A. border is partly a result of it. The British also paid for a costly defence system, including Fort Henry at Kingston, which is now a popular historic site.
Learn more: The War of 1812
- After the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) the Royal Navy ruled the seas. Americans resented British interference with their shipping.
- The United States invaded Canada in June 1812, believing it would be easy to conquer.
- First Nations, including the Shawnee led by Chief Tecumseh, helped British soldiers and Canadian volunteers defend Canada.
- Major-General Sir Isaac Brock captured Detroit but was killed defending Queenston Heights, near Niagara Falls. The Americans lost that battle.
- In 1813 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry and 460 soldiers, mostly French Canadiens, turned back 4,000 Americans at Châteauguay, south of Montreal.
- In 1813 Laura Secord walked about 30 km (19 miles) to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon of an American attack, helping win the Battle of Beaver Dams.
- In 1813 the Americans burned Government House and the Parliament Buildings in York (now Toronto).
- In 1814 Major-General Robert Ross led an expedition from Nova Scotia that burned the White House in Washington, D.C. He was later buried in Halifax.
- By 1814 the American invasion had failed. The war ensured Canada stayed independent of the United States, and today’s border is partly a result of it.
- Britain paid for defences that are now popular historic sites: the Citadels at Halifax and Québec City, the Halifax naval drydock and Fort Henry at Kingston.
- The Duke of Wellington chose Bytown (Ottawa) as the end of the Rideau Canal, so he played a direct role in founding the national capital.