POV
I heard an interesting piece on NPR in mid-June about how the War of 1812 is viewed in Canada vs. how it is viewed in the U.S. There's two sides to every story and the truth is often somewhere in between.
According to the piece, in which both American and Canadian history teachers were interviewed, in American public school U.S. history classes, most teachers can't/don't spend more than a couple of days on the War of 1812. In Canada, teachers often spend two weeks or more teaching about the war. In the U.S., the war is considered to have resulted in more or less a draw. In Canada, it is considered a British/Canadian victory. Apparently, in Canada, the war is considered a consequence of early American imperialism. In the U.S., Britain is considered responsible for starting the war by its impressment of American sailors, and by selling guns to frontier tribes hostile to American expansion. In the U.S., the war is considered a minor speedbump in the path to becoming a American continental power- we faced off against a global superpower and fought them to a strategic draw. In Canada, it is considered a fight for survival. The U.S. tried to take Canadian territory by force and were beaten back. So, in Canadian eyes, the war ended in a strategic victory. The piece didn't speak to how the War of 1812 is viewed/taught in British schools.
I can't speak for Canadian schools/teachers, but as an American high school history teacher, I can vouch for the report's accuracy regarding how the War of 1812 is viewed/taught here in the states. I would hazard to guess that the majority of adult Americans remember little to nothing about the War of 1812.
I'd love one of our British posters to explain how the War of 1812 is viewed/taught in British schools and/or seen by the British public at large.
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