It is said that history is written by the victors.
Who then should write the stories of the War of 1812?
As we approach the 200 year aniversary of the start of the War, it is only
just that we discuss the conflict from all side, the Canadian, the British
and the American. I will not bore you with dates and times or
battles and events; that was the role of the schools in my day; but rather
I want to explore the causes and the effects of the conflict.
For example, prior to the War of 1812, Canada did not have a standing
army and the army of Britain, our overseer, was tied up in the Napoleonic
Wars in Europe. The fight for our country was primarily through
assistance of the Aboriginal Canadians, who ended up being screwed by all
sides.
I will approach this series by separating the stories into bite sized
chucks that can be assembled.
The series begins now.
|