Harper's 1812 overture: Study shows Canadians unfamiliar with war's details

I think Canadians are 'unfamiliar' with most of our history. Me, the immigrant, took 8 Can history courses well after I became a citizen. Those born here seem to know the very bare basics but New Canadians know sweet FA. The citizenship test was and remains a joke. Personally I'm looking forward to 2012 as a good deal of the major skirmishes/battles took place around my stomping ground.

One of the coolest things I did when I visited Toronto in 2007 was visit Fort George near Niagara - an awesome historic sight.

It's a shame so many Canadians know so little about our own history. Things like this can't do anything but help make it interesting.

Personally I am more ashamed by how many know so little about our politics as well. People still think the Prime minister is at the top of the food chain.

I really figured it would be a bigger deal in Quebec and celebrated. If not for turning back the invasion, I don't imagine the Yanks would have put up with so much bullshit from that province for the past 200 years had they been victorius.

Fort George is a good spot. The whole town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is well worth a visit.

That's where I proposed to my missus!

Did you buy her a box of Laura Secord's?

I attend the Shaw Festival every summer and do the wineries. I have tootled around the area many times in the past.

I also travelled along the St. Lawrence a few times visiting some of the historical sites. But that was long ago.

And me, the birn in America, lived mostly in Canada, but mum from England--I'm completely fascinated with British history and have almost no interest in Canada's history. Mind you, I'm on the west coast. My wife drags me to the museum and I'm like "Noooooo. No more arrowheads!"

Henry the Eighth and the Tudors. Now that's history. Lots of blood and guts.

Zip, I agree that English/UK history is good stuff. Just finished listening to a load of podcasts on the English history from the end of the Roman era to just past the Norman conquest. The guy who narrates is quite amusing.

http://historyofengland.typepad.com/

When I first came here I was on a Seven Years War and Napoleonic thing so the stuff that happened around here in Upper Canada was of great interest. It all intersected with the world wars of the 18th and 19th centuries. Love it! Canada has a very interesting history.

We were victorious. We made you keep Quebec, didn't we?

I'm surprised you're not going on about the bloody totem poles, too. After you've seen the 1,764th of them they kind of all blur together.

The War of 1812 isn't as relevant as World War 1 or 2 to Canadians or as "sexy" as the U.S. Civil or Napoleonic wars. Hopefully this promotion will help, although I'm not sure how lasting the effects will be.

We were victorious. We made you keep Quebec, didn't we?


Touche my southern friend!

We were victorious. We made you keep Quebec, didn't we?







I never thought of the war results like that. I guess we did win the War of 1812 after all, if we lost and had to take Quebec and make it a State that would have been unfortunate.