On Tuesday, Bob and I traveled north from Rhinebeck, NY to the sleepy town of West Chazy, located on the NY/Canadian border. It was not a trip without issues; after 14 years or so of RVing we made the embarrassing mistake of driving off without unhooking our electric cord from the pedestal. Bob called the campground after discovering this and we are still waiting to hear if we will have to pay for the damage done. It could have been worse. Our cord is still useable and photos from the campground of the damage show just a small portion of the outlet having been torn off.
Apart from that, the trip went smoothly and we settled in for a week in upstate NY. It is beautiful country here and is filled with history. The next town over, Plattsburgh, NY, was the site of the deciding battle in the War of 1812. We visited the museum there on Thursday and learned quite a bit about the war itself and the battle that changed the course of the USA as well as Canada and England.
- England had been seizing American sailors and forcing them into impressment on British ships. Between 3,000 and 6,000 American men were taken between 1807 and 1812.
- The U.S. wanted to trade with both Great Britain and France, who had been at war with each other since the 1790s. However, both countries tried to prevent the U.S. from trading with the other one by seizing American ships.
- It was believed that the British were supplying Indians with arms in an effort to stop U.S. western expansion, which exacerbated attacks against American settlers in the Northwest.
- The U.S. wanted to take Canada. While this was not in the war message, a plan had been in place that if we went to war with Great Britain we would use this as an excuse to conquer lands north of the Great Lakes. It was generally assumed that it would be an easy conquest.
Less than three weeks later the United States declared war on Great Britain.
The Battle of Plattsburgh, on land and on Lake Champlain, took place September 6-11, 1814. Despite facing an Army and Navy of greater numbers, the U.S. forces out maneuvered the British and were victorious in this battle and in the Battle of Baltimore the very next day. This determined the end of the war and the Treaty of Ghent was signed soon afterwards.
The Battle of Plattsburgh, on land and on Lake Champlain, took place September 6-11, 1814. Despite facing an Army and Navy of greater numbers, the U.S. forces out maneuvered the British and were victorious in this battle and in the Battle of Baltimore the very next day. This determined the end of the war and the Treaty of Ghent was signed soon afterwards.
According to a plaque at the museum:
“The War of 1812 has been called the “ Forgotten War.” Two years of fighting ended with no clear victor. There was no transfer of territory, no grand surrender. Instead each side gained a quiet victory. The war protected British interests in Canada while giving the Canadians an opportunity to show their loyalty to the Crown. Canada’s success in staving off American attacks gave rise to a budding feeling of Canadian identity.
As the British tried to forget the War of 1812, Americans fully capitalized on it. The War solidified, once and for all, the concept of American independence. The country successfully came together as one to defend against the force of the British Empire. At the conclusion of this conflict there was a renewed sense of national unity and pride within the United States.”
For me, I came away with a greater understanding of why the war was fought and what was the outcome, which has always been much more interesting to me than the names and dates that my high school history teacher made me memorize.
The museum has a lovely collection of artifacts and paintings of the battle.
Tomorrow I’ll write about the rest of our week here.
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