The campaign took place between 1812 and 1815 just as Europe was duking it out with Napoleon. The British-backed Canadians burned down the White House and the United States Capitol.
President Trump’s wide-ranging territorial aspirations elicit an alternating mix of concerns, admiration, laughter and tears. Sometimes history jokes with a particularly poignant irony. No sooner had Francis Fukuyama proclaimed its end than the world was set in hectic motion.
The United States is, sure enough, no exception. They kicked things off with a seemingly innocuous move by renaming the Gulf of Mexico, but eyeing the annexation of Greenland, the world’s largest island, and Canada, the continent’s largest country, is by no means a laughing matter. Most Canadians must have been taken by surprise. After all, the two countries had no proper border. The bilateral business relations were never impeded. But then, bam, came an interesting offer. How about you discarding the formalities altogether and joining us as the 51st state, o Canada?
However, the Canada-gate goes back two centuries and involves a fair share of bad blood. Not many seem to be aware that Canadians are still part of the British Commonwealth. Technically, they gained full-bore independence in the 1980s, but the British king is still de jure running the show in Canada. By suggesting the merger, Trump therefore encroaches on his country’s relations with good old Blighty as well.
Throughout the 20th centuries, DC enjoyed a tight-knit relationship with London, the latter mostly following in the US wake ever since the end of World War II. But the relationship may easily sour on a dime. It looks like potential future developments are anyone’s guess in the eventful era we all happen to be living in.
Historically speaking, the division between the States and Canada was prompted by the radically different stances on Britain. In the 18th century, while the Americans were fiercely fighting for independence, the British and French colonies across the northern border refused to join the fray. Instead, they opted for the status quo. Subsequently, for quite a long while, the Americans viewed that choice as an ugly blunder.
In 1811, John Quincy Adams, the future 6th president, wrote a letter to the incumbent who happened to be his father, John Adams, where he famously said: ‘The whole Continent of North-America appears to me destined by Divine Providence to be people by one Nation.’
Which makes one think Trump did not exactly trailblaze the idea.
In the early 19th century, those straightforward ambitions led to the War of 1812, which was essentially a scrap between the US and Canada. Many Americans have since forgotten that episode whereas many Canadians still view it as the pinnacle of their national pride. Toronto even has a monument, colloquially known as Toy Soldiers, where a US trooper lies fallen at the feet of his Canadian counterpart. The victors tend to have brighter memories of their past than the vanquished.
The campaign took place between 1812 and 1815 just as Europe was duking it out with Napoleon. The Americans considered a military excursion a done deal. The Brits, they reckoned, were busy handling the Europe-wide misfortunes, and the colonial residents would not put up a fight unassisted. But they could not be more wrong, it turned out.
The Americans overplayed their hand while underestimating the enemy forces. At the outbreak of the conflict, they only managed to deploy 7,000 troops whose training and motivation were rather poor. Worse still, the Revolutionary war heroes were noe ancient history. Cherishing those gleeful memories, the Americans hoped they would come out victorious once again, but the military leadership threw up a clunker. Even though they eventually amassed an army of 40,000, the Canadians were backed by their transatlantic allies. They fielded some 50,000 troops, an impressive increase of 45,000 over the initial figures. The US Navy was outclassed by its Canadian counterpart, let alone the British one. Washington only had 20 warships.
To make matters even worse, a lot of Americans were reluctant to get involved. Far from it, some states carried on their trade with Canada. People were not enthusiastic about joining the army. The US Congress misjudged as it declared a war on Britain on 18 June 1812.
The first year of hostilities proved to be a bummer for the US side. The combatants set out from Detroit, but they made no gains into the Canadian territory. In fact, they ended up losing control over the city. In 1813, the Americans turned the tables on Canada, though, by winning the naval Battle of Lake Erie and reclaiming Detroit. However, they were seriously struggling in ground warfare and failed to hold on to the Canadian lands.
But early into the second year, the American side suffered a fiasco. As the European war was drawing to a close, the British supplied their colonies with top-of-the-range naval capabilities. By summer, they had successfully blockaded the ports. In August, the troops led by Major-General Robert Ross ventured a brazen attack on Washington. Four thousand battle-tested amphibious troops landed 50 kilometres away from the enemy capital. Half of them provided cover from the rear, while the rest launched an invasion of Washington. The defence mounted by 6,000 US troops collapsed after less than two days of fighting. The government officials made a hasty and ignominious retreat to Virginia, stealing part of the funds in the process. Those were followed by the warmongering members of Congress.
The outcome of that battle was as fair as it was discouraging. The British-backed Canadians burned down the White House, the United States Capitol and the other government buildings once emblematic of the US independence. Once the incendiary mission was completed, the assailants left for good.
The unsavoury episode triggered the so-called second war of independence as certain American historians refer to it. Indeed, the very existence of the US was being challenged by the Brits. The battles of Lake Champlain and New Orleans proved victorious for the American forces. The revanchist British-led misadventure failed, as did the attempted US invasion of Canada.
But Canada remained controlled by Britain within its pre-war borders. The trade regulations did not change either. The belligerents swapped their POWs and agreed to postpone the resolution of their disputes.
The 19th- and 20th-century Canadian historians would often reference the events of 1812–15 as the war that forged the nation. Prior to that, the territory was populated by a hodge-podge of both English- and French-speaking colonies. But repelling the US threat brought them together.
Just as is the case with any history myths, this account can surely be challenged. After all, the Canadians did not mount a fight for their independence but rather for their right to stay in London’s back pocket, which is a huge difference.
Either way, that plotline had almost faded into oblivion before Trump rekindled it. But one cannot help but wonder if he or his aides even the remember the outcome of the 19th-century clash.
However, this will barely be an issue given the dubious current trend to rewrite and twist the nation’s past.