The Legacy of
the War of 1812 in the West

The Peace Arch

A century after the end of the War of 1812, a monument was planned on the boundary between Canada and the United States at Blaine, Washington. The “Portal of Peace,” as it was originally called, was the idea of Samuel Hill, businessman, lawyer and railroad magnate. The Treaty of Ghent, and the long period of friendship between Canada and the United States, made such an impression upon Hill that he urged both countries to commemorate this historic milestone.

The Peace Arch, standing 20.5 metres (67 feet) tall, was dedicated in September 1921, and commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. A plaque was added in 1965: “In commemoration of one hundred and fifty years of peace 1814-1964 between Canada and the United States of America.” Courtesy Biodork, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

James Polk (1795-1849), 11th President of the United States, painted by George Peter Alexander Healy. Courtesy the White House Historical Association (White House Collection).

Two Centuries of Peace

The War of 1812 represents the last war between Great Britain — in North America, what is now Canada — and the United States, resulting in a period of two centuries of peace.

The events of 1812 and 1813 in the Pacific Northwest remain little-known to citizens of both countries, but especially to Canadians, whose population largely formed the working people of the fur trade outposts, both Astor’s and those of the North West Company. The lesson learned is that our history is more complex and interconnected than we realize. Peace has been the legacy of the War of 1812 in the West.

Conclusion

When one thinks of the War of 1812, the Pacific Northwest is not usually considered part of that history. As recounted here, the actions of this war did have a far-reaching effect across Canada and the United States. The War of 1812 brought British, and by extension Canadian, interests and individuals to the West. It influenced the final location of the Canada-U.S. border. This changed the landscape and society of the Oregon Country — the Pacific Northwest — forever.

Acknowledgements and sources

Osoyoos Museum Society:
Ken Favrholdt, Executive Director/Curator
Kara Burton, Administrative Assistant

Thanks to the following for assistance:
Gerry Borden, historian
Edith Boucher, translator (French version)
Roger Fields, carpenter (panel version)
Morgan Hite, Hesperus Arts, cartographer
Corinne Inman, Morpheus Graphics & Printing Solutions Inc.
Randy Manuel, historian and artist
Lise Mathieu, proofreader (French version)
Wayne Melvin, writer (learning materials)
Liisa Penner, Clatsop County Historical Society, archivist
Laurena Rehbein, Write this Down Freelancing, design and website
Skyline B.C., exhibit system (banner version)
Suzanne Schmiddem, editor and proofreader
Bruce Watson, historian

Gough, Barry. Fortune’s A River: The Collision of Empires in Northwest America. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing, 2007.

Irving, Washington. Astoria or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1964.

Jones, Robert F., ed. Annals of Astoria: The Headquarters Log of the Pacific Fur Company on the Columbia River, 1811-1813. New York: Fordham University Press, 1999.

Jones, Robert F., ed. Astorian Adventure. The Journal of Alfred Seton 1811-1815. New York: Fordham University Press, 1993.

Parker, Lawrence V. “The British Claim to Astoria.” Cumtux, Clatsop County Historical Society Quarterly. Vol. 19, No, 2, Spring 1999, pp. 46-47.

Payette, B. C. Oregon Country Under the Union Jack, a reference book of historical documents for scholars and historians, printed privately for Payette Radio Limited, Montreal, 1961.

Rees, Mike. The Remarkable Voyage of H.M.S. Racoon 1813-14, Seattle, WA: University Book Store Press, 2011.

Reidell, Edward L. “The War of 1812 and the Oregon Country,” Upper Mississippi Brigade Articles, http://umbrigade.tripod.com/articles/oregon.html.

Ronda, James P. Astoria & Empire. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990.

Ross, Alexander. Adventures of the First Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River, 1810-1813. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1986.

Watson, Bruce. Lives Lived West of the Divide: A Biographical Dictionary of Fur Traders Working West of the Rockies, 1793-1858, Centre for Social, Spatial and Economic Justice. Kelowna: University of British Columbia, 2010.

The Osoyoos Museum Society gratefully acknowledges financial support by the Government of Canada, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, the Honourable Minister James Moore. We also thank Parks Canada Agency, Fort Langley National Historic Site of Canada, for additional support.