1. The last conflict between BNA (Canada) and the US
The War of 1812
The last conflict between BNA (Canada) and the US

2. Picture it….
Canada, The Americans have just voted in a severely conservative President, and all ranks of the American government are keen to expand American territory. US forces invade Windsor ON, and begin spreading propaganda across Canada in an attempt to convince the population to remain passive and not resist invasion. The US intends to absorb Canada into the American Federation.
What should Canada, and Canadians do? Why??

3. Causes of War of 1812 2. America’s Desire for Canada Impressment
Britain and France were fighting a war in Europe
Britain began capturing American sailors and “impressing” them, or forcing them to work on British ships
By 1807, Britain had seized more than 1,000 American ships
2. America’s Desire for Canada
Americans saw that Canada was not well-defended by Britain
Americans wanted more land and believed that people in Canada would want to join the United States

7. Causes of War of 1812 3. 3. The War Hawks 4. The Election of 1808
A group of Republican Congressmen from the South and West
Wanted war against Britain
Led by Senator John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clary of Kentucky
4. The Election of 1808
James Madison, a Democratic-Republican, won
In the Spring of 1812, Madison decided to go to
war against Britain

9. The War in Canada
Following the declaration of war against England, between 1812 and the United States made 3 attempts to invade Canada.
The larger American army, comprised largely of militia hastily assembled at the outbreak of hostilities, faced a British Canadian army which, along with Native American allies, was far more professional and better prepared for combat.

10. It Begins…
The War began on July 12, 1812 when the Americans, invaded Upper Canada and occupied Sandwich (Windsor)
While there, General Hull issued propaganda to try to convince the population to not resist invasion
Many people were Loyalists, however many were “Land Loyalists”, and had really only left the 13 colonies for free land
No one was sure how the population would respond
However, shortly after taking Sandwich, the Americans had supply problems and retreated to Fort Detroit

11. The Best Defense is a Good Offense
Sir Isaac Brock was head of the British forces in Canada
After the invasion he worried about the general mood of the population, which seemed defeated
He didn’t wait for another invasion and joined forces with Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee First Nation (from the Ohio Valley)
Britain promised to support Shawnee land claims in exchange for help
On August 16, they attacked of Fort Detroit and scored a decisive victory
It is said that General Hull was terrified of the cries of Tecumseh’s forces outside the walls of the Fort and surrendered almost immediately
This quick success helped build support among the Canadian population and when the call for militia members went out, many signed up

15. Consider the Following:
What might have been the short term, and long term consequences if Brock and Tecumseh had not taken Fort Detroit?

16. The War on Land
Although Thomas Jefferson once boasted that invading Canada would be “a mere matter of marching,” the campaigns each ended badly for the Americans
The Americans lost an army at Detroit and another at Queenston Heights
British General, Isaac Brock dies during this Battle
Eventually the losses proved too much and the Americans withdrew from Canada

19. The War on Land
During the invasions, the American Army burned the cities of York, modern Toronto, and Newark.
The British would later retaliate by burning Buffalo and Washington D.C.

21. The War at Sea
The English maintained the strongest navy in the world while the majority of the American navy, in a cost cutting measure, was sold off in 1802.
The U.S. Navy was young and outnumbered
It was a classic mismatch
At the outbreak of war in 1812, the English used their fleet to blockade American ports
By 1813, most American ships were unable to leave their ports
The Americans were forced to rely on privateers and improvised merchant vessels that stood no chance against the Royal Navy

22. An Aside: Battle at Fort McHenry
Francis Scott Key, an American lawyer and prisoner of the British saw an American flag flying over Ft. McHenry after the battle
The flag inspired Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner”

23. The Turning Point By 1814, Napoleon was all but defeated in Europe
This allowed the British to deploy more ships, and battle hardened troops to the North American Theatre

26. The Treaty of Ghent (1814)
After 2 years of fighting the War ends in a stalemate
In December, 1814, British and Americans met in Ghent, Belgium to negotiate the Peace Treaty
Neither side made territorial, economic, or political gains
First Nations did not get land concessions in the Ohio Valley
Britain did not push this point and wanted negotiations to be short so as to focus on its war with France

27. The Battle of New Orleans (1815)
The Americans were lead to victory by General Andrew Jackson
The Battle continued even after the War ended because word did not reach the Americans for several weeks

29. Who Won the War of 1812? Britain? The US?
Britain repelled an attempted invasion of their Colonies, and reaffirmed their position as a global super power
The US?
The US stood up to a major European power, were becoming recognized as a significant military power themselves, and reaffirmed their independence (Revolution part 2?)

30. Consider the Following:
In your opinion who won the War of 1812? Why?
Can all sides claim victory after a war? Why?
What constitutes winning in war? Explain
Why don’t governments place more emphasis on what is lost during war?

31. The Canada US Border
Canada and the US have peacefully coexisted since 1814
The Anglo-American Convention of 1818 established the 49th parallel as the official western boundary (from Lake of the Woods to the Rockies

32. Consequences of the War of 1812
Britain began construction on the Rideau Canal
Britain wanted to ensure an alternative transportation route in the event of another war
British nationalism is born? Some say the War was the story of British Loyalists fighting off the American threat. Others point out that most of the population refused to fight
Nevertheless the loyalist myth unified the colony and justified the authority of the Loyalist elite in the colony

35. The Colonies Develop
The Loyalist migration had helped create the beginnings of a middle class
Businesses in timber, tanning, and clothing develop
Trade and professions like law and banking develop
Schools are built town services are established
Towns and cities governed on British principles, with some American influence (desire for democracy)

36. First Nations
First Nations were no longer partners with Britain in warfare, were frequently ignored by colonial and British governments
The growing population required more and more farmland and Indigenous land claims were ignored
In 1857, the province of Canada passes the Gradual Civilization Act which had the explicit goal of assimilating First Nations so that they “would no longer be deemed Indians”

37. Consider the Following:
What does then title “Gradual Civilization Act” tell you about BNA attitudes towards First Nations in the mid 19th century?

38. Post War Population Boom
From 1812 to the end of the 1840s immigration to BNA increases dramatically
saw immigrants
saw from Britain alone
The Great Migration
Natural increase as well especially in Lower Canada (population doubles from )
Population growth leads to more agriculture, towns, larger cities, more canals, the beginning of a railway boom across the colonies

39. Population of BNA,

40. Social and Economic Changes
Dramatic change in the middle 19th century since the Quebec Act of 1774
French still majority in Lower Canada, however:
British, American, and African Immigrants change the population mix in the colonies
Britain’s Slavery Abolition Act (1833) abolished slavery in BNA
Black population grows by during the American Civil war ( )
Many slaves arrived using the Underground Railroad, which was a network of safe houses that helped people escape slavery.
Most African American refugees settled in Upper Canada, some in Nova Scotia, and some in the West

41. The Underground Railroad

42. Slavery: Overview
In the southern USA, cotton was the main agricultural product in the 19th Century.
Most was grown on large plantations that used black slave labour
Slaves were private property
Because slavery was abolished in British colonies in 1833, British North America became a haven for American slaves

44. The Transatlantic Slave Trade
Following the exploration and colonization of the Americas, European Nations began importing African slaves to their colonies
This was an example of chattel slavery in which human beings were bought and sold as commodities
They are considered property
The Transatlantic Slave Trade was part of a triangular trading network between Europe, Africa, and the Americas

49. “Coffin” Position Below Deck Each person had a 4’x2’ space

50. Sharks actually followed slave ships

51. Underground Railroad: Definition
A secret transportation network that conveyed fugitive slaves from the southern US to Upper Canada (Ontario) & sometimes to Nova Scotia
It is not a literal railroad!

54. Methods of Escape
Water routes
Roads
Baggage
Railway

55. Conditions of Escape Night travelling Hiding during the day
Pursued by slave owners, sheriffs, slave catchers
Little food
Swamps & forests

56. Fugitive Slave Law
By law every American was required to return runaway slaves to their rightful owner
Fugitives dared to show their face to no one
Many people defied the law & helped the slaves to safety
Abolitionists: supported the cause to end slavery

59. Consider The Following:
Did abolitionists have a moral duty to help to free slaves, despite the legality of slavery in that time and place? Explain
Do we have a similar moral duty in 2015? Explain

60. Some Depressing News
The Global Slavery Index 2014 estimates 35.8 million people are enslaved in the world
Modern slavery is a multi-billion dollar industry
$35 billion generated annually.
The Global Slavery Index 2013 states that 10 nations account for 76% of the world's enslaved
India: 14 million (over 1% of the population)
China: 2.9 million
Pakistan: 2.1 million,
Nigeria: 701,000,
Ethiopia: 651,000,
Russia: 516,000,
Thailand: 473,000
Congo: 462,000
Myanmar: 384,000
Bangladesh with 343,000

61. Modern Slavery Modern day slavery can come in many forms. Forced Labor
Sex trafficking
Child trafficking
Forced Marriage
Bonded Labor
Domestic Servitude

62. Modern Slavery
There are an estimated 20.9 million people that are victims of forced labor
There are more people in slavery today than at any other time in history
It is difficult to know an exact number of people enslaved, as victims are often hidden. Whether they be locked in a house or business, or hidden in plain view, “disguised” as farm workers, prostitutes, or house keepers, modern day slaves are not always easy to identify
Every 30 seconds, another person becomes a victim of human trafficking

63. Consider the Following:
Are BNA colonists going to be satisfied with an authoritarian government after 1812?
Remember, this is an era of democratic Revolutions

64. Towards Responsible Government
The Constitution Act of 1791 established a small, ruling elite
Yet the Act was passed in an era of revolution
The American Revolution (1776)
French Revolution (1789)
These revolutions were in part an expression for the right of people to have more voice in government and control over their lives

65. Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a system of government in which a small, but wealthy and powerful group control government
The ruling elite in the Canadas:
Lower Canada: Chateau Clique
Upper Canada: Family Compact
Both were mostly English speaking and Anglican with a few seigniorial leaders in Lower Canada
They used their political power to expand their wealth and prioritized massive industrial projects (canals, railways)
What the average Colonist really needed were roads and basic services

66. Consider the Following:
How does the building of massive industrial projects like canals and railways strengthen the grip of the oligarchies over the colonies?
How do these projects disadvantage the average colonist?

67. Oligarchic Government
The elites dominated each colony’s Executive and Legislative Councils
The democratically elected Legislative Assemblies were infuriated as the appointed Legislative Council would often override laws passed in the assembly
Conflict and animosity abounded

70. Demands for Responsible Government
Responsible Government is a government which is accountable to the electorate (the people)
Reformers in BNA were advocating for democratic reform and calls for responsible government grew in the 1820s and 1830s
Newspapers and Newspapermen often spread the message
In Upper Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie used his newspaper the Colonial Advocate to this end
In Lower Canada the newspaper Le Canadien was the voice of reform

72. Reform
The focus of reform in both Upper and Lower Canada was increasing the political and economic rights of population
In Lower Canada their was the additional element of the fight against assimilation into British North American culture

73. The Road to Rebellion Tensions rose in the 1830s
In 1834 Lower Canada passed a reform bill titled: The Ninety Two Resolutions
In 1835 Upper Canada passed a reform bill titled: The Seventh Report on Grievances
Both called for the appointed councils to be more receptive to the ideas of the elected assemblies and both were vetoed and ignored by the executive councils
Some decided that a moderate approach was not working
Radical groups from both colonies who were tired of waiting for their rights caused a split in the movement between those who wanted to work within the law and the radicals
Lower Canada rebels: les Patriotes

74. Rebellion Breaks Out Throughout 1837 discontent grew In Lower Canada
Government troops tried to arrest rebel leaders resulting in violent clashes
Several Lower Canada towns had been looted and burned by government troops, and rebel leaders fled
In Upper Canada
a meeting of rebels marched towards Toronto armed with pitchforks and any other weapons they could find
They were met by the militia, forcing them to retreat
By Dec 8th the rebellions were over, the rebels had lost, and the rebel leaders were on the run

77. The Aftermath of the Rebellions
The rebels had been poorly equipped to fight the better supplied and trained government troops
Hundreds of rebels were imprisoned
In Montreal, 12 Patriotes were hanged for treason
In Upper Canada, at least 20 rebels were hanged
Both leaders, Papineau (Lower Canada) and Mackenzie (Upper Canada) sought asylum in the US and were later pardoned

79. Lord Durham’s Report
Britain sensed it was losing control the Canadas and sent Governor General Durham to recommended solutions
Durham’s proposals would forever change the way Canada would be governed
In Upper Canada he blamed the Family Compact, describing them as “a petty, corrupt, insolent Tory (conservative) clique, and called for a government that would be more responsive to the wishes of the majority of the assembly
In Lower Canada he blamed the divisions between French and English and recommended the union of Upper and Lower Canada into one colony with the goal of assimilating Lower Canada’s Canadien residents

81. Consider the Following:
How are Les Canadiens going to feel about this report?
What does this tell you about the ongoing British attitude towards les Canadiens?
“I believe that tranquility can only be restored by subjecting the Province to the vigorous rule of an English majority” - Durham

82. The Act of Union (1841)
The 1837 rebellions and Durham’s report resulted in yet another policy shift in BNA
The Act of Union (1841) united Upper and Lower Canada into one colony- The Province of Canada
Lower Canada becomes Canada East
Upper Canada becomes Canada West
The colony would have one Governor, one Elected Assembly, and one language in the Legislature- English
Both Canada East and West would get equal representation in the Assembly

86. Assimilation… Again
French Canadiens suspected the goal of the Act was assimilation
As a result, politicians from Canada East voted together to block policies originating in Canada West

87. Progress
Eventually moderate politicians formed a coalition and both parties agreed to work together, hoping to achieve responsible government within the confines of the Act
For the next 10 years the governor generals attempted to help the oligarchies hang on to power and were resisted by reformers within this coalition
Over time, Britain became more receptive to the idea of responsible government and in 1848 the new Governor General, Lord Elgin, called upon Baldwin and Lafontaine (the moderate leaders) to form the Executive Council from members of the Assembly (who were elected by the population)
From this time on the Executive Council needed the support of the Assembly for any of its decisions, giving more democracy to the colony

88. Nova Scotia and Responsible Government
At the same time as calls for responsible government were happening in Upper and Lower Canada, newspaperman Joseph Howe was leading a similar reform movement in Nova Scotia
Howe used his newspaper to criticize the colony’s elites (oligarchy)
In 1848, Nova Scotia achieved the first responsible government in BNA (shortly after it was granted in Canada)
Howe proudly claimed that it had been achieved without “a blow struck or a pane of glass broken”