13th April 2003, 10:44 AM
For such a young and small country (population-wise), Canada does have a rather admirable military history. While I don't know whether Canadians burnt down the White House, whether they did or didn't doesn't take away from the other military feats Canadians did accomplish. The most brilliant example would probably be Michel de Salaberry's 1700 Canadian militiamen routing a 3000-man strong regular American army unit in an ambush near Chateauguay. It is true the British fought most battles during that war though, as population support was rather shaky. The French-Canadians weren't particularly supportive of their overlords (except for the "seigneurie", that is to say the nobility), and the newly-established English-Canadians were mostly Americans who had come to Canada because of the available land. Thus, the only true loyalists of the country were the French-Canadian seigneurs and the inhabitants of the Atlantic provinces (many of whom had fled the U.S. during the Revolution because of their fierce loyalty to the British crown).
Still, certain militia units did shine in battle, as I'm sure some did in the US also.
Whether Canada was independent or not is irrelevant, the Canadians who fought on the British side in the war of 1812 are the modern Canadians' ancestors just like those who fought on the American side are our modern-day Americans' ancestors.
As for the rest, Canadian infantry was also a force to be reckoned with during the first World War, being used as shock troops in the same way the Germans used their stormtroopers. Canada has as a nation fought in the Boer Wars, the first and second World Wars, the Korean War, and as ironic as it may seem sent over 110 000 men to fight for peace everywhere from Palestine to Cyprus to Bosnia and Rwanda.
The telephone: let's remember it's Alexander Graham Bell who invented it, not Canada nor America. People have a bad tendency of claiming their compatriots' achievements for themselves. As for where he lived, Bell split his time between Canada and the US; he said himself the telephone was conceived in Ontario and born in Massachussets.
Still, certain militia units did shine in battle, as I'm sure some did in the US also.
Whether Canada was independent or not is irrelevant, the Canadians who fought on the British side in the war of 1812 are the modern Canadians' ancestors just like those who fought on the American side are our modern-day Americans' ancestors.
As for the rest, Canadian infantry was also a force to be reckoned with during the first World War, being used as shock troops in the same way the Germans used their stormtroopers. Canada has as a nation fought in the Boer Wars, the first and second World Wars, the Korean War, and as ironic as it may seem sent over 110 000 men to fight for peace everywhere from Palestine to Cyprus to Bosnia and Rwanda.
The telephone: let's remember it's Alexander Graham Bell who invented it, not Canada nor America. People have a bad tendency of claiming their compatriots' achievements for themselves. As for where he lived, Bell split his time between Canada and the US; he said himself the telephone was conceived in Ontario and born in Massachussets.