Invading?

Did you know that the United States had attempted, thrice, to invade Canada...in 1812?

War of 1812
IV. First Phase of the War

The first phase of the fighting began with the declaration of war on June 18, 1812, and continued through the winter of 1812 and 1813. During this time, Britain was preoccupied with its engagements in Europe and tried to end the American war by diplomacy, sending few reinforcements to North America. As a result, the United States decided to invade Canada, and U.S. naval vessels operated effectively to stop British commerce to North America.

A. Attempts to Invade Canada

Soon after the war began, American leaders began to worry about the exposed Western fort of Detroit, a strategic settlement in the Michigan Territory. The U.S. hastily dispatched Brigadier General William Hull with reinforcements to the fort. In July General Hull decided to cross the Detroit River into Upper Canada. Hull's men, many of whom came from the Ohio militia, were poorly equipped, and, except for one small regiment, proved insubordinate and unreliable.

When Hull learned of an approaching force made up of British troops, Canadian militia, and Native Americans, he quickly withdrew to Detroit without fighting a battle. Major General Isaac Brock, an able and energetic officer, led the British unit. He followed the retreating American army with close to 1300 men, nearly half of whom were Native Americans. Brock boldly ordered Hull to surrender Detroit, and on August 16 the American general gave up, never firing a shot. The United States thus lost control of the entire Great Lakes region, and British troops soon invaded northern Ohio.

In October the Americans made a second attempt to invade Canada, this time on the Niagara frontier at the eastern end of Upper Canada. A small force crossed the Niagara River and with great gallantry stormed the key British position on the heights above the city of Queenston (see Queenston Heights, Battle of). The British promptly sent in more troops to counterattack, but the Americans received no additional support. A New York militia officer named Stephen Van Rensselaer, who commanded the reinforcements, could not induce his regiments to cross into Canada to assist the advance unit. The militia, stubbornly maintaining that they could not legally be sent out of the United States, stood on the riverbank and watched the defeat and final surrender of their comrades. In the same engagement British general Brock, who had used his naval command of Lake Erie to transfer troops by water from the Detroit area to the Niagara River, lost his life.

Major General Henry Dearborn led a third American effort to invade Canada. This expedition also ended ingloriously in November north of Plattsburgh, New York. Once again the militia refused to cross into Canada in support of a small advance force, and instead marched back to winter quarters at Plattsburgh.