War of 1812

Welcome to the Web Pages of the Milton Historical Society, created specifically for the 2012 Bicentennial Commemoration of the War of 1812, the war that saved Upper Canada. The concentration of the material on these pages will be the history of the Town of Milton and the roll that our men, women and resources played in that war 200 years ago. For those that are not familiar with the reasons for the war and how it related to tensions in Europe between England and France, we will bring you some history. Resources will also be provided on the details of the war in Canada and the men and women who made a difference. To date, the MHS Researchers have already identified the graves of three (3) Milton Soldiers who fought in the War of 1812.

Web Note: There are now tabs at the top of each War of 1812 page to direct you to the sections of the web as they are being built. Check back frequently as this will change during the development of the site over the upcoming months.

From the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada:

“The war of 1812 was a seminal event in the making of our great country. On the occasion of its 200th anniversary, he invites all Canadians to share in our history and commemorate our proud and brave ancestors who fought and won against enormous odds. As we near our country’s 150th anniversary in 2017, Canadians have an opportunity to pay tribute to our founders, defining moments, and heroes who fought for Canada.

June 2012 will mark 200 years since the declaration of the war of 1812-a war that saw Aboriginal peoples, local and volunteer militias, and English and French-speaking regiments fight together to save Canada from American invasion.”

Click on the poster to go to the web site

Click the image to read the article in the Legion Magazine.

There are a number of articles and web pages that have already been prepared to tell the history of the War of 1812 - the war that saved Canada. An excellent primer is the article by that name "1812: The War That Saved Canada", published in the January 2012 edition of the Legion Magazine. You can CLICK HERE or click the image, to read that article on-line.

Web Note: MHS has contacted the publisher to determine if extra copies of the article or magazine can be made available for the MHS and local schools.

In the introduction to the Legion Magazine article, the author Donald E. Graves highlighted why it is so important to get involved with the bicentennial of the War of 1812:

"Last fall, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore announced the federal government would invest millions of dollars to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812. That celebration, he stated, was an opportunity for all Canadians to take pride in their history and participate “in the events and activities that will mark this important anniversary for Canada.” The problem is that, with the gradual disappearance of history from school curriculums in recent decades, many Canadians today—particularly younger ones—have only the haziest of notions about the war, its causes, course and outcome. Therefore, a review of this “forgotten” conflict might be useful for those who would like a primer on the forthcoming commemorations."

Library and Archives Canada Digital Collection
Monument to Soldiers of the War of 1812 at Lundy's Lane, Niagara Falls Ontario.

Web Note: MHS has contacted Library and Archives Canada asking for them to release more on-line digital photographs of the Niagara area to facilitate 2012 research of the bicentennial.

Library and Archives Canada Digital Collection
Survivors of the War of 1812, taken on the lawn of the late Sheriff Jarvis in Rosedale. Left to right - Col. Duggan, Rev. Geo. Ryerson, Wm. Roe, Jacob Snider, Dr. Jas. H. Richardson, Jos. Dennis, J. Woodall, Jas. ross, Col. Bridgford, Geo. Ridout.

Library and Archives Canada Digital Collection
Studio portrait taken in July 1882 of the surviving Six Nations warriors who fought with the British in the War of 1812. Right to left: Sakawaraton - John Smoke Johnson (born ca. 1792); John Tutela (born ca. 1797) and Young Warner (born ca. 1794)