Menu
FR
Military heritage

Ontario's military heritage —
1. War of 1812 (Resources)

War and conflict

Explore the following resources to learn more about the War of 1812.

Terms of capitulation of the Town of York, 27 April, 1813, 1st draft. This first draft, signed by Lt.-Colonel William Chewett, agrees to surrender the town, turn over all public ordinance stores to the Americans and to surrender troops and seamen as prisoners of war.
Terms of capitulation of the Town of York, 27 April, 1813, 1st draft. This first draft, signed by Lt.-Colonel William Chewett, agrees to surrender the town, turn over all public ordinance stores to the Americans and to surrender troops and seamen as prisoners of war.

Heritage Matters

Explore the Trust’s Heritage Matters e-magazine to learn more about Ontario’s past. Specifically, check out the following articles related to the War of 1812:

Explore the Trust’s collections database for artifacts connected to the War of 1812.

External resources:

Here are several other sources that you could explore to learn more about the War of 1812 and the people who lived — and fought — through it:

Terms of capitulation of the Town of York, 27 April, 1813, 1st draft. This first draft, signed by Lt.-Colonel William Chewett, agrees to surrender the town, turn over all public ordinance stores to the Americans and to surrender troops and seamen as prisoners of war.
Terms of capitulation of the Town of York, 27 April, 1813, 1st draft.

You might also be interested in

Check out these other exhibits about the War of 1812

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers)

Peter Rindlisbacher, Enemy in Sight (Photo: CWM 19910086-001, Beaverbrook Collection of War Art, Canadian War Museum)

In 1811, Major-General Isaac Brock was appointed as the senior military commander and senior member of Upper Canada’s executive council. It was Brock’s responsibility to manage the defences of Upper Canada. On taking office, Brock quickly recognized the province’s vulnerability.

Visit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Upper Canada's soldiers)

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes)

This painting, depicting General Brock’s death on 13 October 1812 at the Battle of Queenston Heights, has become an iconic Canadian image of the War of 1812. (Print by John David Kelly, 1896. Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1954-153-1.)

The British regulars, Canadian militia and Indigenous warriors won several battles in the summer of 1812. Their victories proved to the Americans that if they wanted to conquer Upper Canada, it would require a long and bitter struggle. The sections below explore the key battles in Upper Canada and the surrounding Great Lakes.

Visit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Battles in Upper Canada and the Great Lakes)

Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone)

Fort George, Upper Canada. Hand-coloured print of the military training camp at Fort George by artist Edward Walsh. This print is estimated to be from 1813, when the British recaptured Fort George from the Americans. (Photo: Library and Archives Canada, Acc. No. 1970-188-505)

Before the War of 1812, the lives of most of Upper Canada’s inhabitants involved hard work and offered few comforts. Even for the most skilled homesteaders, subsistence was precarious; bad harvests could bring a family to the brink of starvation. Unfortunately for these residents, life would become even more difficult with the onset of the War of 1812.

Visit Ontario's military heritage — 1. War of 1812 (Life in a war zone)