Sunday, November 17, 2013

The Guns Of War

The American Revolution certainly had its influence on what was to become Canada. Loyalists came up from the former colonies after the war into what had remained British North America, starting a new life. Yet during the war itself, Canada was a battleground for Continental forces. Quebec City was under siege, part of a campaign by American officers to take the city and the St. Lawrence in 1775. Richard Montgomery, one of the rebel commanders, was killed during the battle. You may have heard of one of the other rebel generals, a temperamental fellow named Benedict Arnold.

Below is a model of a street scene in Quebec City during the campaign, with British regulars, local militia, and American troops engaged in battle.


Weapons are displayed throughout the museum as we travel forward through time. In this portion of the museum, focusing on the Revolution and the War of  1812, these muskets, pistols, swords, and other items are safely behind glass, a display of the technology of the time.


This is one of the key items in the museum's collection. British General Isaac Brock was killed leading forces at the pivotal Battle of Queenston Heights during the War of 1812. This is his uniform jacket. If you look closely, you can see a black hole on the chest, right below the downturned collar. That's where the fatal shot struck him.


Moving forward to the end of the 19th Century, we have this cannon, an artillery piece from the South African War, in which Canadian troops went overseas alongside the British, fighting Boer forces in a place far from home. 


22 comments:

  1. I knew I'd enjoy this!

    I didn't know about 1775, I should have done my homework better when I Québec where the Plains of Abraham just sort of "jumped" at me...

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    1. I've been to Quebec City a couple of times. It's my favourite city on the continent.

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  2. ... when I was in Québec...

    Sorry about that.

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  3. I find the uniform very sobering.

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  4. And still the war..... we want peace.

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    1. Tomorrow's post goes more towards an artistic side of things.

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  5. I like this!

    A new Civil War museum just opened here: www.mcwm.org

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  6. All the weaponry and such is interesting, but I think that bullet hole in the uniform really brings home what war is all about.

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    1. I've got something coming in the next post that has the same kind of effect. A very humanizing artifact.

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  7. I haven't been to the war museum but I have been to Queenston Heights and also to Fort Niagara on the other side of the Niagara River. War on your own country's soil - even it did happen way back in history - is very scary. More people ought to visit these places to try to understand how horrible wars really are.

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    1. It's been a long while since I've been to Queenston, but I have to go back sometime soon, to walk the battlefield and go up the monument.

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  8. Oh I love it!! Reminds me of the Gettysburg museum with all of the period pieces on display - the uniforms and weapons. It's such a fun place to go to.

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    1. I think getting people face to face with the past, even the unpleasant side of things, is absolutely crucial to get us to understand it. This place does that.

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  9. Interesting post once again. I had no idea that some of the war of 1812 was fought in Canada.

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    1. A good deal of it, actually, particularly in the Niagara Peninsula, but also other spots along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence.

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  10. Enjoyed as usual as I love museums.

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  11. Yeah, we keep trying to grab whatever we can. But in 1775? Our revolution didn't begin until the following year so why were we bothering you then?

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    1. The fighting began earlier really. The argument could. Be made that the Boston massacre was the start.

      This campaign started in late fall and the bulk of the fighting was at the end of 1775

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