Events from the year 1814 in Canada.
"What constitutes the greatness and happiness of a nation:" people's spirit, education, "the political constitution under which they live" etc.
Indigenous people's "firm attachment to our interest[...]adds greatly to our means of defending and securing our Canadian possessions"
London-based charity for poor children's education in Upper and Lower Canada funds school intended for 3âÂÂ400 boys in Quebec City
Cartoon: William Charles shows "Iohn" Bull as King George "baking" more ships to replace ones taken on "the Lakes," including by "Mac Do-enough"
Pres. Madison informs Congress of U.S. acceptance of U.K. proposal to begin peace negotiations; but not with any relaxation of war preparations
Maryland House of Delegates fears "barbarity" of U.S. forces burning Newark, U.C. may bring "upon our coasts the most direful vengeance"
Editorial says U.S.A. must capture Kingston, Upper Canada; "anything done to the westward [is] taking the lion by the tail only"
Regarding reports of armistice, Secretary of State tells President "the affair [is] unsettled, and might terminate in nothing."
Print: Attack on Ft. Oswego, N.Y., with rescue of wounded British soldiers (foreground) and warships firing on promontory (background)
With Napoleon's fall, U.K. concludes conventions with other Allied Powers, including one keeping them (and France) out of War of 1812
Editorial: "The war must soon we think change from an offensive to a defensive one on the part of the States[....]"
"Obstinate and sanguinary contest" - Bloody Battle of Lundy's Lane leaves "vast numbers of[...]dead upon the field"
"The power of England was never displayed in Canada like at present. The troops which arrive daily are[...]brigades moved from [France]"
Royal Navy surgeon from Nova Scotia, with British forces in Washington, witnesses burning of Capitol, White House and other sites
U.S. General Macomb reports defeat of British squadron on Lake Champlain and rout of Gen. Prevost's army in Battle of Plattsburgh
John Quincy Adams and 4 other U.S. negotiators assume British are delaying peace treaty talks until after Congress of Vienna
Opinion: U.S. war aim seems to have changed from conquering Canada to preserving "that ascendency which they acquired by the peace of 1783"
Treaty of Ghent ends war and returns captured territory (including lands of First Nations at war) and seized property (including enslaved people)
"Demagogues [exploiting] hatred to England,[...]popular favour, the obsession of power, money [etc., will lead] to eternal war with England"
Map: Lower Canada from Lake St. Francis to Quebec City, with districts, counties, and towns (settler and Indigenous), plus mills, roads and battles
Absence of 15,000 farming men in military and related services, troop movements and camping impede soil tillage and thus good harvests
Troop transport carrying almost 200 soldiers and 21 women and children strikes rock in Gulf of St. Lawrence, leaving 37 survivors (all men)
Editorial hopes that building Lachine Canal will draw investment from not just merchants and real estate men but "persons of every profession"
Act to establish post houses is for travellers' accommodation "and for rendering more certain the communication between different parts" of L.C.
Following death from bite of "a mad dog," court orders dogs and other animals bitten and running loose to be killed or confined by owner
"[A frigate is ordered] built at New-York to be propelled by steam. How inventive [is man to use] the powers of nature to the ends of destruction!"
Varieties of apple tree for sale in Montreal include golden "pipen," Montreal apple, Montreal rennet, Canadian rennet and Canadian nonesuch
Just in from London: "Rich figured, Shot, Twilled, coloured and Black , Black Silk Florentine,[...]Fashionable silk Shawls [etc.]"
Concert in Montreal includes Ignaz Pleyel "Grand Symphony," G.F. Handel song, 2 songs by Thomas Arne, and Joseph Haydn symphony (tickets: 5s)
U.C. harvests have been abundant; "mixed with the evils of war, we notice a fresh spur to industry [and] an increase of commercial enterprize"
"Special Commission" at Ancaster finds 15 people guilty of treason on May 23; their punishment's effect will be "putting down the rebellion"
"When a daring spirit of anarchy and confusion seems to prevail[, it is time to teach] the lessons of obedience and subordination"
John Strachan urges "Loyal Inhabitants of this Province [to be] neither depressed nor discontented [with war's] privations and distresses"
Refugee Indigenous people want to move to Grand River, as Burlington area is "almost exhausted," with "every article of food" expensive
Act declares alien (and thus not allowed land ownership) any U.S.-born person who owns land in U.C. and has returned to U.S.A. during war
Act authorizes erection of market in York "where Butcher's Meat, Butter, Eggs, Poultry, Fish, and Vegetables shall be exposed to Sale"
Militia officers are to wear "a Scarlet Jacket with Dark Blue Facings, Yellow Buttons, Gold Lace round the Collar and Cuff [etc.]"
Committee on "the Trade, Agriculture and Fisheries" of N.S. reports 1814 concerns including supplying fish, cattle etc. to West Indies
Proclamation inviting deserters from U.S.A. is intended to encourage enslaved people to seek freedom
Newspaper reports arrival in Halifax of "a Transport with a few hundred Negroes (dead and alive)" from Chesapeake Bay
John Wentworth has land near Antigonish where New England settlers can be safely placed far from U.S. border, among "3,000 loyal Scots and others"
Surveyor General office will look into request of Thomas Paul and 10 other Mi'kmaq for land near their "choice" 1,100-acre Shubenacadie site
Baptist minister Edward Manning finds parents irreligious and neglectful of "rising generation," who are profane and ignorant
Resolutions of charity for Indigenous people include providing housing and husbandry materials, and advice "with respect to their true interest"
Pres. Thomas Saumarez asks Assembly for grant to buy land for "the oak pack branch of the Melicete tribe," who suffer "want and distress"
Act to prevent killing "partridges" during breeding season (MarchâÂÂSeptember) has per-bird penalty of 10s or 2 days in jail
Indigenous man asks for meadow lot near reserve, which has no natural grass, so he and family can keep cow; lot taken, but there may be others
Young Black man with wife and 3 kids and farming experience, stock and tools seeks grant of 300 acres in Kings County (200 acres allowed)
Agreement for single woman to join family in their house with room, board and washing for ã45/year (raised to ã55/yr if she moves out)
Fredericton military has "a great many[...]stupid married people and a majority of the single ones not very Brilliant," to "damsels" regret
Penelope Winslow's new husband lost arm in wars, but her "reign as bride has been a brilliant one" with round of dances
U.K. â France treaty returns French right to fish Grand Banks and Newfoundland coast; proprietors on formerly French-occupied coast must move
St. John's townhall agrees "excessive and indiscriminate issue of Notes" is bad, and proposes bank "for the issue of a circulating Medium"
Oversight of St. John's hospital is weakened by disagreement among physicians, and one result is indulgence of quacks attached to some patients
St. John's doctor will give poor children free inoculation of cowpox virus, "for more than fifteen Years[...]found to [prevent smallpox completely]"
Royal Newfoundland Regiment, home after 9 years, have "proved equally serviceable as Soldiers and Sailors[...]both ashore and on the lakes"
Second mate and 12 crew members jump overboard to evade warship's press gang; mate drowns and crew are saved "in a very weak condition"
With seal hunt providing too little sustenance, Moravian missionary says Labrador Inuit should copy settlers and fish for cod
News comes of "massacre" at Fort Nelson of Alexander Henry (who actually drowned later in 1814) and others; writer cites desperation of killers