On This Day...

...in 1812, Canadian forces consisting of British regulars, Upper Canadian militia, and Mohawk warriors repelled an American invasion force more than twice their number at Queenston Heights atop the Niagara Escarpment on the Niagara River.  Among the causalities at the battle was Sir Isaac Brock:

"The Death of General Brock at the Battle of Queenston Heights" by John David Kelley, 1896.  Courtesy Library and Archives Canada, C-000273.  

Despite the victory, which ensured that American forces would never achieve the quick peace and take over of Canada that they had hoped for, Brock's death would prove to be rather devastating for any hopes of a dominant Canadian position through the rest of the war.  Canada would survive, at least, if kept north of the Great Lakes.  The battle, especially in Ontario, has remained one of the high holy points of English Canadian history, a moment of triumph over American domination.  Like much of the War of 1812, the battle has also been romanticized a bit too much by Canadians, and neglected for mention in American history texts, but then, none of us were there, and our nations certainly have interesting ways of dealing with the present and future by imagining the past to be what we wish it to be.  Was Queenston Heights important?  Absolutely.  Was it, and the dramatic death of Brock, a deciding factor in the drive to keep the war going for both sides? Not nearly as much as it was the hearts and causes for all the people involved.  Wars are not glorious so much as they are crucial for understanding our consciousness of self as societies; what do we really fight for?

Rest in peace, Sir Isaac.  Your monument, the monument of all those on both sides who fell with you, stands in testament to your contribution to the history of two young and growing nations.