War of 1812

1812: War with America

Listen to a short interview with Jon Latimer
Host: Chris Gondek | Producer: Heron & Crane

In the first complete history of the War of 1812 written from a British perspective, Jon Latimer offers an authoritative and compelling account that places the conflict in its strategic context within the Napoleonic wars. The British viewed the War of 1812 as an ill-fated attempt by the young American republic to annex Canada. For British Canada, populated by many loyalists who had fled the American Revolution, this was a war for survival. The Americans aimed both to assert their nationhood on the global stage and to expand their territory northward and westward.

Americans would later find in this war many iconic moments in their national story--the bombardment of Fort McHenry (the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner"); the Battle of Lake Erie; the burning of Washington; the death of Tecumseh; Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans--but their war of conquest was ultimately a failure. Even the issues of neutrality and impressment that had triggered the war were not resolved in the peace treaty. For Britain, the war was subsumed under a long conflict to stop Napoleon and to preserve the empire. The one lasting result of the war was in Canada, where the British victory eliminated the threat of American conquest, and set Canadians on the road toward confederation.

Latimer describes events not merely through the eyes of generals, admirals, and politicians but through those of the soldiers, sailors, and ordinary people who were directly affected. Drawing on personal letters, diaries, and memoirs, he crafts an intimate narrative that marches the reader into the heat of battle.

The Incredible War of 1812: A Military History

Capital in Flames: The American Attack on York, 1813

As Canada's central depot and naval dockyard on the Great Lakes early in the War of 1812, the capital frontier town of York (present-day Toronto) was a prime target for American forces. In April 1813 a squadron of warships under U.S. Commodore Isaac Chauncey sailed up Lake Ontario and landed about 1,800 soldiers there as the renowned explorer Gen. Zebulon Pike led his men into battle. Though the Americans took the town, their victory proved disappointing. Malcomson challenges conventional ideas about the battle as he brings to life the politicians, soldiers, and citizens whose destinies clashed at York.

An Echo of Hope (Reardon Valley #3)

Readers will be delighted to return to the Reardon Valley in An Echo of Hope. When young widow Hope Reardon's childhood love, Michael, returns from war, old feelings are rekindled. But Hope and Michael must first overcome their past hurts so that their hearts are free to love again.

Guidebook to the Historic Sites of the War of 1812

There have been guidebooks to military sites before, but no other book has covered the War of 1812 in its entirety. This well-illustrated updated edition covers more than 400 historic sites of the War of 1812, both well-known and obscure, in both Canada and the United States.

The author has used old pen and ink drawings from the last century to give a "then and now" feel to the book. Curious to know what is at the site of the Battle of Queenston Heights? Besides giving readers a detailed history of the events that occurred at the sites, the author describes what they have to offer visitors today, be it a historical plaque, historic house, or major interpretive centre.

This book is a handy tool for both travellers and historians. It remains the only book on the market offering a comprehensive guide to nearly all of the sites in our last war with the United States.

INVASION OF CANADA, THE: Battles of the War of 1812

The War of 1812 played a major role in creating a Canadian identity. This popular history of the war focuses on the major events and battles: the capture of Detroit, the Battle of Queenston Heights, the taking of York and Niagara, the victory at Chateauguay, the Battle of Lundy's Lane, and the battles waged at sea. It is generously illustrated with archival images as well as with contemporary colour photography taken at historical sites associated with the war.

Ronald Dale is a historian and the Superintendent of Niagara National Historic Sites, including Fort George and Brock's Monument. He is the author of Niagara-on-the-Lake: An Illustrated History.

Invasion of Canada

To America's leaders in 1812, an invasion of Canada seemed to be "a mere matter of marching," as Thomas Jefferson confidently predicted. How could a nation of 8 million fail to subdue a struggling colony of 300,000? Yet, when the campaign of 1812 ended, the only Americans left on Canadian soil were prisoners of war. Three American armies had been forced to surrender, and the British were in control of all of Michigan Territory and much of Indiana and Ohio.

In this remarkable account of the war's first year and the events that led up to it, Pierre Berton transforms history into an engrossing narrative that reads like a fast-paced novel. Drawing on personal memoirs and diaries as well as official dispatches, the author has been able to get inside the characters of the men who fought the war — the common soldiers as well as the generals, the bureaucrats and the profiteers, the traitors and the loyalists.

Berton believes that if there had been no war, most of Ontario would probably be American today; and if the war had been lost by the British, all of Canada would now be part of the United States. But the War of 1812, or more properly the myth of the war, served to give the new settlers a sense of community and set them on a different course from that of their neighbours.

Niagara 1814: America Invades Canada

Most books on the War of 1812 focus on the burning of Washington, D.C., the Battles of Baltimore and New Orleans, and the war in the Old Northwest. Scant attention, however, has been paid the Niagara Campaign of 1814-the American army's ambitious but failed attempt to wrest Canada from British control. While a few writers have dealt with aspects of this effort, Richard Barbuto is the first to offer a comprehensive study of the entire campaign. Barbuto covers every aspect of a campaign that saw the American army come of age, even as its military leaders blundered away potential victory and the acquisition of a coveted expanse of North American territory. Vividly recreating the major battles on the Niagara peninsula-at Chippawa, Lundy's Lane, Fort Erie, and Cook's Mill-Barbuto also clairifes the role of these engagements within the overall framework of American strategy. Despite early success at Chippawa, four long months of fighting finally ended in something like a draw, with the British still in control of Canada. Barbuto argues convincingly that the American government was never really able to harness, coordinate, and focus its tremendous resources in ways that would have allowed the campaign to succeed. Much of the blame, he shows, can be attributed to the poor leadership and confused strategic thinking of President James Madison and his secretary of war, John Armstrong. The American effort was further undermined by manpower shortages, a few ineffective field commanders, and the army and navy's inability to coordinate their objectives and operations. Even so, Barbuto contends that the American soldier, led by the likes of Jacob Brown and the legendary Winfield Scott, performed surprisingly well against one of the great armies of the nineteenth century. Barbuto's analysis, unmarred by national bias, presents a balanced picture of these events from the perspective of all participants-American, British, Canadian, and Native American. He also fills an important gap by providing the first ever capsule histories of all regimental-sized units involved in the campaign. Breathing new life into these events, his far-ranging study should become the definitive work on this long-neglected campaign.

Whispers of War: The War of 1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt (Dear Canada)

In the summer of 1812, as rumours of a looming war become a reality, Susanna, her mother and sister are surviving as best they can while the men are fighting. As news of various battles reaches them, Susanna becomes even more concerned for the safety and well-being of her beloved brother and father. She is also torn between the loyalties of her best friend and her mother – both Americans living in Upper Canada – and her father’s and brother’s allegiance to General Brock and the King. But the night of the Battle of Queenston Heights, Susanna’s main concern is for survival. Every diary in this historical series has a matte-finish cover, rough-cut pages, and bound-in ribbon bookmark.

Laura Secord: The Heroic Adventures of a Canadian Legend (Amazing Stories)

During the War of 1812, Canadian and British forces battled against the United States with great determination. Many of these soldiers displayed incredible bravery in the face of the enemy. The most legendary act, however, was performed by a civilian woman. This is the story of Laura Secord, a devoted wife and mother who risked life and limb to warn the British military of an impending American attack.