The War of 1812 is one of those strange events in history that time has dimmed into relative obscurity.  Despite the vast consequences this war had on America generally, and American trade specifically, it is only ever considered one of the minor wars in the nation’s history.  Similar to the French and Indian war 50 years earlier, the War of 1812 was a direct by product of the political and military events going on in Europe at the time.  The War of 1812 is just another example of how America is inextricably linked, both historically and culturally, to Europe.

The Napoleonic wars were in full swing on the European continent in the first decade of the 19^th century.  The French and English were fighting tooth and claw, straining both of their economies and armed forces.  It was this conflict that created one of the main causes, and the only stated cause, for the War of 1812, between Great Britain and America.  This cause was the infringement by both these European powers on American maritime trade.  America, in it’s position as a neutral country, was conducting trade with both the British and the French, and neither the British nor the French were satisfied with the opposing power receiving the benefits of this commerce.  Both nations tried to influence American trade by setting restrictions on it.  America, in turn tried unsuccessfully, through political pressure, in the form of the Embargo Act and other legislation, to create a more favorable trading environment in Europe.

In addition to the restrictions placed on trade by Great Britain and France, the British Navy continued to outrage Americans by their belligerent and disdainful treatment of American shipping.  It was a common practice of the Royal Navy, stretched thin because of the fight with France, and in need of manpower, to board American vessels and press hands into His Majesty’s service.  This clear disregard for American sovereignty and international law was an act of war (Snow & Drew, 2010).

The issue of British naval harassment of American shipping was the stated cause for the War of 1812, but there were other deep-rooted mistrusts of the British that were also considerations.  Primary among these was the common belief that the British were stirring up the Indians against American settlers in the west and making westward expansion difficult.  This is partially why much of the support for the war was concentrated on the western frontier of the nation.  Support for the invasion of Canada, with the goal of unseating British power on the North American continent, also came from the West and South (Snow & Drew, 2010).

Militarily, America had what could be called mixed results at best.  All three of the prongs of the invasion of Canada failed to achieve their objectives.  General Hull’s entire command was surrendered after an ignominious retreat back to Detroit, followed by General Brock, the British commander, who, with the aid of Indian chief Techumseh, was able to convince him that he was outmatched.  American Naval victories on Lake Erie and individual ship actions off the eastern seaboard slightly brightened an otherwise bleak picture.  General Harrison was able to recapture Detroit and then engage the British in Canada, with moderate success.  While this was happening however, the British gained the victory over Bonaparte in Europe and freed many assets, which could be used against the Americans.  This new influx of soldiery and naval support enabled the British to engage in such operations as the raids in the Chesapeake Bay and the burning of Washington D.C.  After deciding that operations against Fort McHenry and Baltimore to be impracticable, they withdrew from the bay and proceeded south to prepare for their campaign against New Orleans.  As these preparations were proceeding, peace talks were already underway at Ghent.  These concluded on December 24, 1814 and the treaty of Ghent was later to be ratified by the United States on January 8, 1815.

This peace treaty concluded the war and left the two nations in relatively the same positions that they started in. However, it was during the period that immediately followed the peace that the mutual benefit of harmony between the two nations was truly recognized.  American trade with England blossomed.  American commerce was a growing and successful part of the economy.  America’s national sovereignty also came to be recognized during this post war period.  Ironically, the Royal Navy came to be one of the main protectors of American commerce worldwide as America was still without a navy to speak of.  While the performance by the American armed forces was by all standards poor, and the war generally could not be considered a military victory, the peace that followed it was a time of growth and development for the fledgling nation.

While the War of 1812 was really a conflict that dealt with American sovereignty and its relative position to the European states, its main causes can be directly traced to the political and military events of those same European nations.  The influence this conflict had on America’s international status and its implications for American trade were significant and greatly affected the growth and development of the nation.  But despite these facts, it still remains a conflict that is obscure.  Perhaps this is due to America’s poor overall performance, or perhaps it is because no significant changes in the visible sense took place.  Whatever the case, the War of 1812 was a defining event in American history.

Wyatt Fairlead

There are a few given rules in warfare that should be followed to the letter.  Most of them are quite well known: when on foot and facing cavalry, always form square; avoid the Ross Rifle at all costs; and, straight from The Princess Bride, never get involved in a land war in Asia.

But one that has also come to mind of late, particularly when discussing British gentlemen officers of the past two-hundred-and-fifty years has to be: never make yourself an obvious target.

Major General Sir Isaac Brock is Canada’s pre-eminent hero of the early nineteenth century.  A legion of towns, streets, buildings, and schools are named after him: Brockville, BrockUniversity, and Brock Street– infamous in Kingston for its constant pot-/sink-holes.  Brock was, perhaps, the perfect gentleman-hero: he was beautiful, brilliant, capable of quoting Caesar’s Gallic campaigns and, in the next breath, the latest Byronic sonnet, and, along with Tecumseh and Prevost, was the key influence in planning British North America’s defence against President Madison’s troops in the War of 1812.

And, sadly, he was also dumb.

I say this with all respect for his military sagacity and with great love for my country and for the man on a personal level, but, really, Brock was an idiot.  At the Battle of Queenston Heights in October 1812, Brock attempted to capitalize on his great victory at Fort Detroit by crushing the American forces.  Heroic to a fault – and it was a major fault – Brock decided to lead the charge against the enemy himself.  What made this a true Wile E. Coyote moment was the simple fact that the Americans happened to hold the high ground.  So there goes Brock, medals flashing in the sun, bright red coat painfully visible through the sunlight in the trees…

The Death of Brock - C. W. Jefferys

… and he gets shot straight through the heart.  Game over.

You can now see Brock’s coat whenever you go to the Canadian War Museum.  It’s a lovely shade of red and the bullet-hole is extremely prominent.  Poor Isaac.  He wasn’t that dumb before Queenston Heights – he’d used psychological warfare brilliantly against Hull in the siege of Fort Detroit; Brock is also one of the people I absolutely would have at my dinner party of historical figures (remember to keep Henry and Eleanor at opposite ends of the table!).  But the darling man was blinded by glory.

Maybe Brock was just impersonating the flawed choice made by his comrade-in-arms from the Battle of Copenhagen, The Most Noble Lord Horatio Nelson, Viscount and Baron Nelson, of the Nile and of Burnham Thorpe in the County of Norfolk, Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough in the said County, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath, Vice Admiral of the White Squadron of the Fleet, Commander in Chief of his Majesty’s Ships and Vessels in theMediterranean, Duke of Bronté.  (Yes, titles can be fun!)

Nelson did almost the exact same thing as Brock in 1805, as every school child in Britain (and some other countries) knows well.  In the most stubborn vein ever, Nelson refused to “shift his coat” and put on something less appealing to the French sharp-shooters up in the riggings of the Redoubtable.  Medals gleaming in the sunlight (this is a bit of theme with aggravating examples of British heroism), Nelson refused Hardy’s perfectly reasonable suggestion to change and then added that the medals were military orders and he wasn’t afraid to show them to the enemy…

… and then he got shot straight through the spine a little after one o’clock in the afternoon.  “Hardy,” he smiled (presumably with a bit of a grimace), “I do believe they have done it at last… My backbone is shot through.”

Then came the fanning and the kissing below deck (for the best visual interpretation of Kiss Me, Hardy, please visit Kate Beaton’s amazing site: http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=164) and bequesting Emma, Lady Hamilton to the nation, which didn’t go very well for her at all, and then Nelson died in the moment of his greatest triumph.

“Thank God I have done my duty,” indeed.

It’s beautiful and tragic… and completely unnecessary if he had just put on a less noticeable tunic!  Again, I say this with all affection and adoration and awe for Nelson’s military career and his status as one of my favourite historical lovers of all time along with Hephaistion, Julius Caesar, Simon de Montfort and Richard Burton, but come on!  There’s being brave and then there’s being a git… and, I’m sorry, my darling Horry, but it was all completely avoidable and it was all your fault.

However, my theory here is that Nelson wasn’t thinking of Emma while he was pacing around the deck of the HMS Victory that fine October day (don’t forget – Brock died in October too!).  Rather, I think Nelson had a very specific picture in mind; this one, to be exact:

The Death of General Wolfe is, I believe, the most famous painting in Canadian history – except that, in true Canadian fashion, it was painted an American, Benjamin West.  It depicts the moment when General James Wolfe died on the Plains of Abraham after being shot by the enemy (sound familiar?).  West portrays Wolfe as a Christ-figure, surrounded by his loving officers and men – including a Mohawk ally and Simon Fraser, both of whom were not even at the Plains of Abraham on that cold morning, 13 September 1759.  This is the Pieta for both Canada and the British Empire.  With one image, West managed to re-write imperial history.  It didn’t matter that half the cast of characters were absent from Wolfe’s actual death, and that he probably did not collapse backwards, eyes turned to heaven, with the Union flag waving over him as he breathed his last.  As Simon Schama wrote, “when British children of future generations grew up drilled in the pieties of imperial history, it was West’s scene they imagined rather than any more literal account.  Art had entirely blotted out mere recall, let alone evidence…. After West, nothing could dispel the odour of sanctity that lay over Wolfe’s memory.”

Horatio Nelson was one of those children, as was Isaac Brock.

Just imagine the seductive cultural power that suddenly lay before Nelson when he, too, was facing his most heroic and noble (and suicidal) moment… how could the admiral have dared to “shift his coat” when such a possible death lay before him?  (Nelson even got his own West painting, dying as he did.)  Likewise, how could Isaac Brock have not led that charge up the hill with the deaths of both Wolfe and Nelson fresh in his mind and the minds of every loyal British patriot?

And this is why, this morning, I am beset by the conclusion that heroism is dumb.  There is something beautiful about patriotism, so long as it doesn’t tip into outright jingoism and arrogance; similarly, self-sacrifice is one of the most honoured characteristics of any civilization I can think of (though I am willing to entertain arguments to the contrary if you can come up with any…).  Charles Dickens devized one of literature’s most fitting endings when he sent Sidney Carton up the steps to Mme Guillotine in A Tale of Two Cities; Captain Oates’ memorable, “I am just going outside” before walking out into the blizzard made Scott’s failure in the Antarctic that much more tragic and poignant.

But there is a line between self-sacrifice and heroic lunacy – and both Brock and Nelson crossed it with gusto.

Then again, they were AUIW – Acting Under the Influence of Wolfe, so perhaps they really never had a choice.  So, who do we blame for dumb heroes: James Wolfe or Benjamin West?

It’s really a pity, because I have no doubt whatsoever about who my hero was in 1759… a lovely man in Ireland named Arthur Guinness.

** **

There are some amusing codas to these acts of arrogant, aggravating and dumb-founding martial heroism.  A large statue of Brock exists at QueenstonHeights, looming over the plain and glaring at theUnited States, just daring them to try to cross the border once more.  What most people don’t realize, however, is that the statue is a favourite target for lightning strikes.  In order to avoid damaging the statue, a lightning rod was inserted near the statue’s hand… and it kind of changed the tenor of Brock’s message.  For now, when Americans stand at the border and look at the mighty Brock staring back at them, he’s flipping them off: the lightning rod has given the general the power to give America a one-fingered salute.

My other favourite post-heroic moment tale has often been told, but I just love it, so I will repeat it here.  While Nelson’s body was being brought back to London, a fascinating little ritual kept occurring at his brandy-cask-turned-temporary-coffin.  Upon arrival in the capital, the authorities were shocked to the discover that the cask was empty, apart from the admiral’s pickled body.  After inspecting the cask, it was discovered that a small hole had been drilled in its bottom and the men, throughout the journey home, had been helping themselves to a little bit of courage – literally.  Hence, one of my favourite of all terms: “Tapping the Admiral.”

Further Reading

William Beatty, The Authentic Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson (republished 2007)
Stephen Brumwell, Paths of Glory: The Life and Death of General James Wolfe (2007)
Graham Dawson, Soldier Heroes: British Adventure, Empire and the Imagining of Masculinities (1994)
Willian Ian Miller, The Mystery of Courage (2000)
Jonathan Riley, A Matter of Honour: The Life, Campaigns, and Generalship of Isaac Brock (2011)
Simon Schama, Dead Certainties: Unwarranted Speculations (1991)
John Tosh, Manliness and Masculinities in Nineteenth Century Britain: Essays on Gender, Family and Empire (2005)

Midatlantic Musings by Jane G. V. McGaughey is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Flipped Its Lid: This stately home on Ontario at Devonshire is getting an extreme makeover. Since this photo was shot in April, the house has been stripped down to almost nothing. (Funny, it looked perfectly fine to me). (photo e. weeks)

Something Stinks: A skunk (in the daytime?) and vandalized French doors at Devonshire Manor (aka the Low-Martin House, Ontario at Devonshire. Note that the copper eves troughs and downspouts are missing. According to the owner, they disappeared during the replacement of the roof. The house is named for the rum runner who built it, Harry Low, and one of the later residents, Paul Martin Sr. a senator whose son became Prime Minister of Canada. For history on the house go to walkervilletimes.com. (photo e. weeks)

Rejoice No More: Probably built as a corner store, this sad looking building in a crumbling neighourhood in West Windsor (Sandwich Town), became home to Metropolitan Community Church on Brock Street, (named for General Brock of War of 1812 fame. The area was a site of one of the major battles.) The late Don McRae was pastor. (photo e. weeks)

The Back Story: The front and sides of this building on Walker (home to a construction equipment business) are painted bright yellow. The rear, along the alley between Walker & Monmouth, although marred by boarded up windows and graffiti, is a lot more interesting. (photo e.weeks)

It's Elementary: Inviting entranceway of Marlborough Public School (opened 1930), 3557 Melbourne, Windsor's west end. Why haven't I noticed this gem before? Besides the gorgeous front door, what I love about this building is that it was built on the diagonal of a very spacious lot. For history on the school, go to http://fc.gecdsb.on.ca/~marlboroughps/. (photo e.weeks)

Our Fearless Gang

The rain cleared up on Saturday and the sunshine prevailed for the Port Dover Harbour Museum’s  pageant, The Lion On the Lake, to take place as planned.  Powell Park was packed with happy onlookers by 7 pm. The pageant was produced in conjunction with Shadowland Theatre to commemorate General Brock’s visit to our area in August of 1812 and the role Canadians and Britain played in the War of 1812. For more information on the War of 1812 or Brock’s walk click here: http://www.westerncorridor1812.com/.

Powell Park came to life as characters and puppets acted out various aspects of life in 1812. There was a miller scene, a public debate between Britain and America, a native aspect, a roll call of the red coats and the blue coats, a depiction of pioneer life, a blacksmith’s scene, taking place in various parts of the park.

Lady Britannia and Great Britain perform the public roll call and declare Britain’s interest in Canada

The main play got under way at about 7:30 in front of the bandshell when Britannia called the group gathered together for a public roll call, Britain’s interests in Canada were declared, and Uncle Sam (Boo! Hiss!) arrived via motorcycle.

Uncle Sam makes a big entrance

Oh yeah, and some of the Dover Uke Heads were marching too, with our little red tunics and ukulele’s. From now on, some of us will never be able to get the melody of Chase Me Charlie out of our memory. We all agreed it was a great experience. We learned different kind of music, playing by ear, marching while playing and still managed to have fun while doing it.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Two video’s of scenes from the pageant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwcrslU_ME0&feature=youtu.be and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN87cjc9VuA&feature=youtu.be.

Join a tribute in drama, song and spectacle of General Isaac Brock’s stop in Dover on his journey to capture Detroit in August 1812. Sail upon the St. Lawrence II Tall Ship and enjoy a street pageant with giant puppets and a parade from Powell Park to the lake.

2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 in Ontario. Specifically, General Brock was in Port Dover on August 5th, 1812. The Harbour Museum in Port Dover will commemorate this event with a production called “The Lion on the Lake” by curator Ian Bell. Mr. Bell has extended an invitation to participate in the following email message via our website:

“May-30-2012

Hello Ukeheads,

I’d like to invite you all to take part in a really unique event that’s taking place in Port Dover on August 11th. It’s an outdoor pageant and parade commemorating Isaac Brock’s visit here 200 years ago in 1812. It’s called “The Lion On The Lake” and it will take place in Powell Park with a pageant involving music, drama, giant puppets and history. This will be followed by a parade (by participants and audience) down to the dock where General Brock will board a tall ship. We’re putting together a wild marching band for this that will include fiddles, brass, accordians, drums and - if you’re willing, lots of ukuleles. We’ve got a “Lion On The Lake” Facebook page if you need more info. We’re having a weekend of workshops and rehearsals on June 9 and 10 at the Harbour Museum if you can come out. Call the museum for details on exact times. (519-583-2660)”

This production involves: giant puppets and puppets, stilt-walkers, outdoor theatre techniques, a multi-instrument marching band.  From the museum’s website, http://www.portdovermuseum.ca/events_details.php?Details=26 . Also listed on Ontario’s Southwest website, under War of 1812: http://www.ontariossouthwest.com/experiences/the-lion-on-the-lake,393.

According to museum staff that I spoke to, we are lucky to have a brigantine out of Kingston, the St. Lawrence II, to be berthed at the Port Dover dock, co-inciding nicely with Ian Bell’s War of 1812 historical theatre production. Mr.  Bell said it has always been a dream of his to have a giant ukulele rhythm section, so let’s help him out.

SEE YOU THERE!!

Grade 7 and 8 students from Stella Maris, Amherstburg, General Brock and David Suzuki elementary schools reunited with their counterparts from Bellevue middle school in Bellevue, Ohio, to share six months of work on the Paths to Peace ArtFest 2012.

The kids presented dramatic performances, incorporating both dance and spoken word, commemorating the War of 1812 and 200 years of peace between the two nations. There were puppetry and visual arts displays as well.

The Ohio kids crossed Lake Erie via Jet Express and arrived at the Boblo Island mainland dock and headed by foot to Fort Malden for the day-long event. For many, it was their first visit to Canada.

The Canadian kids had travelled to Ohio last October for the first symposium. They participated in workshops and interpretive activities conducted by artist mentors.