Canada’s Defining Moments: War of 1812

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American grievances about trade and the impressing of sailors off American shipping were merely deflections from their true goal - the conquering of British North America while the British were still busy with Napoleon. The American War Hawks had been looking for excuses to invade again since the American Revolution and the trade grievances provided them with the ammunition they wanted. Here's a quote from a fellow whose name most folks will recognise, made a month after the United States declared war against the British Empire. "The acquisition of Canada this year, as far as the neighborhood of Quebec, will be a mere matter of marching; & will give us experience for the attack of Halifax the next, & the final expulsion of England from the American continent.” Thomas Jefferson to William Duane, 4 August 1812. Mr. Duane was the Irish-American publisher of a prominent Philadelphia newspaper. Note that Jefferson makes no mention whatsoever of shipping or press-gangs. And the reason he says that it will be "a mere matter of marching" is that many Americans thought, in their now familiar ignorance of anything going on north of the border, that they would be welcomed with open arms by folks just like them itching to shed the yoke of British imperialism. Oops! Much to their shock, this turned out not to be true, and after a couple of years or so of bashing around, everyone agreed to what amounted to a stalemate, which, in practical terms, meant a loss for the American side given that they failed entirely in their prime objective, adding the rest of North America to their expanding empire.

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