200 Years ago on the 18th of June, America declared war on Canada*
The War of 1812 was the first war that the newly formed United States of America declared on any nation, helped shape a newly emerging Canadian identity, and caused the burning of York (Toronto) and Washington D.C. (the British burned the White House and it was the only time in American History that a foreign country has invaded).
“Canada’s ambassador to Washington, Gary Doer, recapped the mutually recriminatory sackings of Toronto and Washington. And then dryly cited the words of an aging Thomas Jefferson, “who predicted that Canada, a country of only 400,000 people, in dealing with the United States, a country of seven million — that it was only a matter of marching in the neighbourhood of Quebec to have victory.”
In the end, forged 200 years of peace between our two nations. Canada and the United States now share the largest peaceful border, and have strong ties linking them.
*Canada was technically still part of Britain
To read more: The War of 1812 shaped Canada forever
