On Sat, 29 May 2004 at 15:41:08 in message
ers.com, David
Megginson wrote:

1776-1783
1812-1815

(Apologies if I missed something in-between -- this is all from
memory.)

We suffer from just as much propaganda about the War of 1812 here in
Canada as you do in the U.S. I wouldn't suggest turning to the
schoolbooks of either Canada or the U.S. for an honest evaluation.

As a Briton I understand that you had some good reasons for declaring
war, but remember that the British at that time were fully occupied in
fighting the French in an attempt to defeat Napoleon.

We were understandably trying to stop any ships from supplying France
but we went too far after capturing American ships in forcing their
crews to fight for us on our ships!

Last September we visited Put-in-Bay Island in Lake Erie and the Perry
Memorial to the battle that Admiral Perry won on Lake Erie. The US also
invaded part of Canada I understand.

We are all friends since then I hope and a real peace treaty was signed
after that, although of course Napoleon was finally defeated in 1815
anyway.

When I visited the Perry memorial and the Visitor Centre there I was
delighted when everyone laughed when I said I had come to find out why
we lost!
--
David CL Francis