In 2012, Prime Minister S. Harper’s government stressed the importance of the War of 1812 by commemorating the little-known Canadian history of 200 years ago. British, Canadian & Aboriginal forces stopped the American invasion of the colony of Canada. Americans were bent on trying to gain British territory, but this war helped to pave the way to Confederation in 1867. It has an added importance, because the international boundary at the 49th parallel was decided upon shortly after this War by the treaty of 1818, and it was the last time that a United States government armed force intent on war approached/crossed into the “British Possessions” (Canada and our North West Territories.) Of course, the Oregon boundary dispute was a serious one between Britain and the USA, but it was settled with a treaty in 1846. We know that Fenians who were Irish immigrants to the USA, who wanted Britain out of Ireland did some raiding across our border at forts and army posts between 1866-1871, but these were repelled and in any case, they did not represent the American government. Some American officials did not easily give up the dream of expansion, continuing to express it in meetings, in Congress and in documents. However, American people had suffered enough from their own Civil War from 1861-1865 and entering into war was not an easy sell. Also, from 1872 to 1876, the US government cooperated fully with the International Survey of the 49th parallel. We know that traders of various descriptions had been crossing the border for years, and in 1873, a small group of Americans had erected a whisky fort “Fort Whoop-up” in what is now southern Alberta and illegally selling liquor. By the time the North West Mounted Police arrived that year, those traders had fled to Montana territory. The work of the Mounted Police with border and regional patrols also helped establish the legality of the border and helped to set the stage for peaceful settlement of the North West. Interestingly enough, the government of John A. Macdonald after 1871, invited Americans to immigrate to the Canadian West. During Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier term from 1896 to 1911, 784,000 American settlers entered Canada. (Stats: from 1956 text: Canada - A Political & Social History)
Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722
[email protected]
