History Browser

When the British regained control of Lake Ontario in December 1813, the Americans had to move men to hold their shipyards at Sackets Harbor. Unable to hold Fort George, they burnt both it and the surrounding towns in mid-winter. A unit of Canadian traitors helped them in this cruelty.

Lesson plan for teaching the history of the War of 1812 that includes time lines and synopses of major events compiled from several texts with the intent of creating a good historical foundation (especially for those with little background on the subject). The material is divided into five major sections - Loyalists; The onset of war; The war turns; The US returns to Niagara; The war ends.

While it is called the War of 1812, many battles, raids, and skirmishes occurred in 1814. This time-line presents a brief description of the events of 1814 and the forces that were involved in both land and sea confrontations.

Help the ghost of Samuel de Champlain regain his memory of Canada`s national historic sites in an interactive game for younger children.

Niagara was the first permanent Anglo settlement in present-day Ontario. From 1792 until 1796 it was the capital of Upper Canada. It was important for the transhipment of goods in North America, developed as a farming community to serve the needs of the British garrison and the growing refugee population, and a vigorous commercial area. Because of Niagara's importance, eventually the entire length of the Niagara River was defended by artillery batteries.

This page explains the importance of river and lake systems for the settling of European explorers, traders and colonials throughout Upper Canada the Atlantic coast and Quebec. Includes maps of the established water routes into the interior of North America.

In 1794, Jay’s Treaty led to withdrawal of British forces from Fort Niagara. In 1796, work began on Fort George at Newark (present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario), directly across the Niagara River from the older fort. Fort George was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812. It is now a major National Historic Site. The wooden palisade at the centre of this photograph sits on top of the earth-built curtain wall linking two of the fort's six stone bastions, one of which can be seen at the end of the palisade. To the left is a part of the ditch (or 'covered way') surrounding the fort, along with an further earthwork known as a ravelin. The ravelin, with its own wooden palisade and small blockhouse inside, made it more difficult for any attacker to assault the curtain wall.

This map of the Niagara Peninsula shows the principle settlements and fortifications found in the frontier region during the War of 1812. The map dates from the mid-19th century, and also shows later features such as the Welland Canal (first opened in 1829), several railways, the 1855 Niagara Falls suspension bridge and the site of the 1866 battle of Ridgeway.

This chart provides a calendar of the land battles, raids, and skirmishes that occurred along the Canadian/American border in 1813.

Loyalists settled in Upper Canada after the American Revolution. In 1777, as the war in the north began in earnest, refugees fled to British strongholds in the north - Quebec ( Sorel, Montreal, Chambly, Ft. St. John's, and Quebec City ) and the Western outposts. The settlement in Upper Canada began soon after the close of the American Revolution when refugees and Loyalist regiments moved, from Quebec and the Western outposts, to Upper Canada.