Atop the Mast: the Canadian Red Ensign, which served as the nautical flag and de facto flag of Canada from 1892 to 1965, when it was replaced by the Maple Leaf flag.
On the Yardarm: the flag of Quebec, and that of Niagara-On-the-Lake
Historical events 211 years ago probably are not top of mind for President Trump, otherwise he might cite them as justification for his recent threats and provocations directed at Canada. Today marks the anniversary of the burning of Washington, D.C., on August 24, 1814, when British Forces from what is now Canada marched into the U.S. capital and systematically set fire to the White House, the Capitol, the Library of Congress and other public buildings. President James Madison and First Lady Dolley Madison fled the city, Dolley famously taking with them Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington, saving it from incineration.
And (please don’t tell the President or more importantly, Stephen Miller) the burning of Washington is not the only precedent for armed invasions across the U.S.-Canada border—in both directions. Americans went first at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, when colonial troops marched to Quebec City (led by Gen. Benedict Arnold) before being repelled.
Then, when Britain was involved in wars with France, the former regularly kidnapped American sailors to work on British navy vessels and blocked Americans from trading with France. This prompted President Madison, with support from Congress, to declare war on Britain in 1812. Madison drafted a three-prong plan for the invasion of Canada, which he and Congress figured would be easy to accomplish. They believed Canadians would welcome the Americans as liberators.
The Americans put only 12,000 troops into the attacks and had incompetent officers and untrained raw troops. While they did destroy the British fleet on Lake Erie and briefly occupied Toronto, ultimately the British pushed them back across the Niagara River.
The Niagara area, including the Canadian town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, saw a lot of action in this war. NOTL is the home of Fort George, which is directly across the river from the American Old Fort Niagara, between which the British and U.S. exchanged fire in the War of 1812. In a very bad act, the U.S. burned the entire city of NOTL after defeating the Canadians, leaving women and children homeless and destitute in the December cold of 1813. Later on, the Canadians burned Buffalo in retaliation.
The last American troops left Canada in 1814, and neither side has invaded since, although after World War I, when Canada was still part of the British Empire, the U.S. prepared secret plans to invade its northern neighbor. That did not come to pass, however, and relations between Canada and the U.S. have been excellent until President Trump’s recent threats.
The lessons of history suggest it may be prudent to make friends, and not war, with our northern neighbor.
In the spirit of let-bygones-be-bygones, the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake recently created its own flag. Here is what the city said about the flag’s creation in 2013:
On December 10, 2013, exactly 200 years from the burning of the town during the War of 1812-1814, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake unveiled its first Town flag. The flag was raised by Lord Mayor Dave Eke and Bishop Ralph Spence, Albion Herald Extraordinary, at an official ceremony at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Courthouse. The Town flag, a symbol of a new beginnings and a lasting legacy of peace between the British Crown and United States, features the Royal Union Flag of 1707 and the shield from the Town’s official Coat of Arms granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority. The mace within the shield is a gilt wood object dating from 1792 and indicates that Niagara-on-the-Lake, known then as Newark, was the first capital of the province of Upper Canada (now Ontario). The maple leaf coronets further this allusion and indicated the town’s Canadian identity.
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