History Browser

The leader of the Patriote movement is shown in this 1840 lithograph. At this time he was in France, having fled Canada at the start of the 1837 Rebellion. (Library and Archives Canada R9266-P2601)

Iron carriages were introduced in the British artillery in 1810. They were to be placed ‘in such parts of fortifications as are least exposed to the enemy’s fire’ as it was feared they would shatter if hit by enemy artillery. The examples seen in this photograph are found at the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site.

This unit always had several companies posted in Canada during the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1840 for example, officers and men wearing the uniforms shown could be seen in Halifax, St. John’s (Newfoundland), St. John (New Brunswick), Quebec, Montreal, Chambly, Drummondville, Kingston and Toronto with detachments in smaller towns and outlying forts.

Mortars were designed to shoot an exploding shell at a very high angle, 45 degrees or more. They were used in the siege and defence of fortifications. An explosive shell was fired up into the air and arced downwards to drop within the enemy defences. When the shell's fuse burned down, it exploded. These projectiles are the 'bombs bursting in air' mentioned in the American national anthem, where they were being fired from a British fleet attacking Baltimore.

This self-portrait of Charles Traveller, a soldier of the 70th (the Surrey) Regiment of Foot, is one of the few known paintings by a common soldier of the era. Traveller, shown accompanied by his dog, painted the picture in Laprairie in 1841. At the rear, from left to right: the soldiers' barracks (resembling a barn), the officers' barracks (resembling a villa), the light infantry and grenadier companies of the 70th in ranks, the guardhouse and the regimental band. Traveller wears the winter dress uniform of a private of the light company of the 70th. (Parks Canada)

These early 19th century British artillery pieces are mounted on platforms that allow guns to swing in a wide arc and thus follow a moving target such as a ship. These reconstucted carriages are found at the Coteau-du-Lac National Historic Site near Montreal, Quebec. The fortifications were built to defend the canal lock - the first built in North America.

The 23rd Foot served in various places in Canada between 1838 and 1853. Its regimental mascot is a goat, a tradition that has since been adopted by its allied Canadian regiment, the Royal 22e Régiment. From left to right: a private, a pioneer, the drum-major and two officers. Note the traditional black silk ribbon worn at the back of the collar by the officers of this regiment. (Library of the Canadian Department of National Defence)

Fort Lennox was built on Isle-au-Noix just north of the American border between 1819 to 1826. Its purpose was to block the way towards Montreal to any hostile force coming up the Richelieu River from Lake Champlain. (Parks Canada)

The 'percussion lock' was a technology adopted in the early 19th century to replace the earlier 'flint lock'. The lock was the mechanism that set off the gunpowder charge inside the weapon's barrel. Flint locks used a piece of flint scraping along a piece of steel to make sparks. They were strong and easy to make, but not especially reliable, and very vulnerable to damp. The percussion lock used a small copper cap containing fulminate of mercury, which exploded when hit by the lock's hammer. The result was a more reliable spark, but the new mechanism was quite expensive. After experimental trials, the percussion lock was adopted by the British army in 1839. At first, existing flintlock weapons were fitted with percussion locks. In 1842, the pattern of muzzle-loading smoothbore musket shown in this photograph was introduced. It remained the principle British infantry weapon until replaced by the 1853 pattern rifled musket. (Parks Canada)

Raised in 1838, the Colored Infantry Company recruited from Blacks in Upper Canada was the only provincial unit on duty between 1843 the unit's disbanding in 1850. It served mainly along the American border in the Niagara area. Besides the service dress shown, these Black Canadian soldiers also had the shako and scarlet coat trimmed with white lace for full dress as in the British infantry. Reconstruction by Garth Dittrick. (Parks Canada)