Two centuries of peace have dimmed the memory of the War, just a date in Canada’s history, yet every year the bloody, fiery horror comes to life as uniformed re-enactors dramatize the battles, the heroics and the lives disrupted by the war. Amid muskets and cannon, the wounded and the dying, the victories and defeats, the human drama emerges. Battlegrounds recall those turbulent times from Fort York to Fort George and Fort Erie, strategic guardians of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. When the British fleet was captured off Amherstburg, the British military, their native allies and settlers in Upper Canada were forced to retreat inland. At the battle of Moraviantown, Tecumseh, the Great Shawnee Chief, was killed ending the Indian Confederation. Soldiers marched from Kingston to Georgian Bay, built boats and rowed 350 miles to relieve Fort Michilimackinac. Settlers watched as their farms and crops were destroyed. The Treaty of Ghent was signed ending the war but there were a number of battle scares and the British prepared for a possible American invasion. A naval base at Penetanguishene was established to protect the Upper Great Lakes. Fort Henry and the Rideau Canal, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were built to provide a safe inland route for troops and supplies. All illustrate a globally important stage in human history – the clash for control of the northern half of the North American continent.
As we approach the Bi-Centennial, this 11-part series of vivid dramatizations provides a glimpse into lives disrupted forever by the War of 1812. Produced by Anne Martin and broadcast on PBS stations.
If you would like to attend some of the 1812 events taking place in Canada and the USA visit
http://royal.scots.tripod.com/warof1812eventslist/
http://www.warof1812online.com See “Event Central” for dates of events in your area. You may also add your own 1812 event.
