1000 Islands Tourism

War of 1812

WAR OF 1812

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In the northeastern seaboard of the United States during the American War of Independence, British Loyalists became refugees and fled to the 1000 Islands and other places just north of the Canadian-US border in Ontario. The region became involved in conflict known as the war of 1812, between the British and the United States, and the 1000 Islands location on both borders served as battlegrounds, military blockhouses, and garrisons for the war.

Gananoque's size and location on the river made it vulnerable to attack from the US and they were raided; the first shots of the War of 1812 were fired in Gananoque. As a result, the British built a blockhouse in Gananoque, and a Navy gunboat station, although never utilized. After the war, with the hostilities settled, the Treaty of Ghent forever prohibited warships on the St. Lawrence River; a condition that today still remains. Battle re-enactments are regularly performed throughout the 1000 Islands, and in 2012, the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, many commemorative events are planned in partnership with the United States.

www.celebrate1812.com