What did American forces burn in York (now Toronto) in 1813?
- Fort Garry
- Government House and the Parliament Buildings
- The Citadel at Québec City
- The Hudson’s Bay Company headquarters
Answer: Government House and the Parliament Buildings
In 1813 American invaders burned Government House and the Parliament Buildings in York (now Toronto). In 1814 the British struck back: Major-General Robert Ross led an expedition that burned the White House in Washington, D.C.
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.