Well after reading all that.. interesting points, Historical fact is that Canadians participated in the battle at Washington. Dont know why you keep mentioning the fact of anti-Americanism or whatnot but ok.. You seem to be more of a denier then knower.
I'm sorry, but historic fact is that the attacking force at Washington sailed from Britain, not from Canada, and contained troops from British, not Canadian, regiments. I'd love to know what Canadian history books you've read - I'm guessing grade school books....
I'm not an authoritative source (i.e. I don't have a history degree, mainly since I'd never find a job if that was what I was doing in university), but I can confidently say that Canada can take no credit for the actual burning of the White House. As I said before, we were merely a reason which led to its burning - we didn't participate in it.
PS. If you are taking what you read in grade school or omnibus-Canadian history books, then I highly recommend that if you're interested in learning about our naiton's military history, you read military history books as they are far more accurate on these things than the general Canadian history texts.
PS. The Anti-American "rant" was directed to the source of why Canadians seem to think we burned the White House and continue to insist despite the fact of the matter.
Newfie Scott
Active Member
Posts: 139
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:40 pm
Quote:
Your right, British did all the work, not Canadians.
Though I'm sure you're being sarcastic in that comment, you're actually correct. The British did do most of the work in defending Canada in the War of 1812. You'd be surprised how many times the Canadian militia fled the battlefield or were too incompetant to be an effective force. But to go further on that point would be to beat a dead-horse. I once again recommend reading some Canadian military history texts on the War of 1812 Bonglord, not general Canadian history texts, if you're interested in learning more on that aspect.
Newfie Scott
Active Member
Posts: 139
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:45 pm
JadeoftheNorth:
Quote:
Many British soldiers remained stationed in Canada and even lived the rest of thier lives in Canada.
That doesn't make them Canadian at all, especially not at the time prior to them settling in Canada.... What you're saying is that a person who settled in Canada, but was not born here, has always been Canadian since the day of their birth, even if they spent 30 years living and fighting for another country before coming to Canada. Those British soldiers were British when they burned the White House, not Canadian - you argument doesn't hold if you try to apply it to the "see, [Canadians] were there because some of those soldiers settled in Canada after the war" - mind you, British soldiers only settled in Canada because their regiments were disbanded here, if at all.
ziggy
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 7:54 pm
Your wasting your time. Kinda sad that some Canadians are so ignorant that they dont even know their own history. WTF are they teaching them in school these days?
Newfie Scott
Active Member
Posts: 139
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:27 pm
Given my experience in the grade school system years ago, they're being taught stereotypes of Canada's military history, not the actual factual history. Also the Canadian grade school system focuses on Canada's social history with only about 10 pages of the textbook (of rather large style print for a book) dedicated to Canada's military history - most of those pages are taken up by pictures.
The Canadian grade school system, regardless of province, fails ten times over in effectively and accurately conveying Canada's history. Personally, when I hear someone say "I'm right because I learned this in Level 1 Canadian history" I feel like punching them - instead I shake my head in disappointment and tell them to go to university and learn real history! LOL!
You're right though, given the history of this topic on the forums here (I was involved in a previous thread on it as well), it is futile to convince the "we burned the White House" sayers of the truth - they prefer to believe in the pop-fiction of the incident as it makes Canada seem bigger than the United States at some point in our history (that inferiority-complex eh b'y).
RUEZ
CKA Uber
Posts: 14781
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:30 pm
Fuck it, let's just say Canada has nothing to do with anything. We didn't fight any war's and maybe all of you will stop bitching back and forth about it.
Newfie Scott
Active Member
Posts: 139
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:39 pm
RUEZ wrote:
Fuck it, let's just say Canada has nothing to do with anything. We didn't fight any war's and maybe all of you will stop bitching back and forth about it.
Excuse me? Absolutely nowhere have I claimed or implied that Canada hasn't fought in any wars. I'm a very avid Canadian military history buff so I'm proud to say we have an extremely diverse and proud military history. However I base my arguments in fact, and the fact of the War of 1812 is that Canadians did not burn the White House - the British did. We were involved in some very interesting and great battles in 1812-1814, it's just that the Battle of Washington wasn't one of them, that's all.
In case you don't realize it, the War of 1812 was far bigger than just the burning of Washington - in fact, the Battle of Washington is but a blip on the radar screen of the War of 1812.
Quite frankly, I think you have some maturing to accomplish RUEZ if you're making comments like that simply because certain people don't agree with your viewpoint.
RUEZ
CKA Uber
Posts: 14781
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:47 pm
Newfie, since I wasn't directing my posts to you don't get all high and mighty. Since you don't know me, I don't think you should be telling me to mature. Frankly I'm just sick of all this bullshit anti-Canadian crap that has started lately. Why if these posters hate Canada so much do they even come here. I guess people don't realize that back in 1812 WE WERE BRITISH.
Newfie Scott
Active Member
Posts: 139
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:51 pm
Oh I apologize then, thought it was being directed at me. Cheers.
edit: typo
RUEZ
CKA Uber
Posts: 14781
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 9:55 pm
No problem, I mean I'm not dumb, Canada wasn't even an official country in 1812, and it only takes a little google search to find some info on 1812. I just don't understand why some of these new people to this site are so dead set on taking Canada down a notch, one topic at a time. I'm totally sick of it.
Newfie Scott
Active Member
Posts: 139
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:06 pm
I fully understand. Personally I don't think we need to make more out of a historical event to be proud of it - the War of 1812 is far bigger than the Battle of Washington and our involvement in the war is very active and proud, despite the lack of any involvement at the BoW by residents of the Colony of Canada. I agree with you that yes we were British subjects at the time, though historians generally don't operate that way in terms of Canadian history, nor do many Canadians as a general rule.
It's unfortunate that people so often focus on the popular fiction regarding our history to be proud, while ignoring the factual history which formed the basis of our national endeavour. But what can you do when the education system is failing in its goal of teaching our youth the national history.
As for those who simply want to take Canada down a notch in this discussion, I've no time for them either. Unfortunately, however, they do have the right to do so in this particular topic as Canadians are believing fiction in terms of our involvement in the burning of the White House.
Fuck it, let's just say Canada has nothing to do with anything. We didn't fight any war's and maybe all of you will stop bitching back and forth about it.
Play nice now please...
jadeofthenorth
Active Member
Posts: 333
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:42 pm
Alright I'm done arguing this point.
The Brits lead the attack and probably did most, if not all, of the work. The question comes down to the technicallity of what could be considered "Canadian" during 1812.
RUEZ
CKA Uber
Posts: 14781
Posted: Sat Mar 26, 2005 10:48 pm
Yes it's all semantics. I think it means more to some posters here to prove we didn't do it, than it does to Canadians to prove we did.
WTF are they teaching them in school these days?
CKA Uber 
