Canada, Invasion of (1812–1813)
Attempt by the United States to acquire Canada in the early
nineteenth century.
In the first years of the nineteenth century, many Americans, especially westerners, enviously eyed the natural
resources of their northern neighbor, Canada. The lands
around Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were a prime timber
region, and those along the St. Lawrence River were exceedingly fertile. In November 1811, a new group of southern and
western representatives arrived at the Twelfth Congress in
Washington, D.C. Led by Henry Clay of Kentucky, John C.
Calhoun of South Carolina, Peter B. Porter of New York, and
Felix Grundy of Tennessee, this faction fanned the flames of
the coming War of 1812 with Britain. They were outspoken
advocates of defending American honor at sea, ending the
threat of Indian attacks on the frontier, and incorporating
Canada into the United States. Thus one element of the War of
1812 was a feeble, poorly planned, and uncoordinated attempt
by U.S. forces to capture Canada. The strategy was to make a
three-pronged attack against Montreal. All three attacks, carried out in the fall of 1813, failed. In the first, General William
Hull ended his advance and returned to Detroit, fearing attacks
by Indians in both countries. A second attempt failed when
New York militiamen refused to enter Canada, and the final
invasion under General Henry Dearborn ended for the same
reason. Although these attempts failed, the desire to acquire
more territory remained important to the United States.
The attempted invasion of Canada demonstrated the
importance that territorial expansion played in America’s
vision of economic development. Acquiring new land would
increase agricultural production and expand the nation’s
economy. The invasion also reflected the growing hunger for
land among western farmers and speculators and the role
their interest played in fueling the nation’s expansion across
the continent.