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Happy Canada Day


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Happy birthday to our 51st State

I always thought that was Israel?

I spent 9 months in 2010 and 2011 as a semi-resident of that fine country, and enjoyed it thoroughly. Imagine, a north american country where the people are friendly and smiling and the people aren't fat nor speak spanish!

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You wish! We kicked your ass in 1812 and we'll do it again if you don't start showing some respect you Montanian mouthy moron. :aggressive:

And to think I assumed you were making this all up! There was a Canada Day special on PBS last night, and they talked about some battles in 1813 where the US forces invaded Canada.

Although the Canadian militias were outmanned something like 5 to 1 the invaders were repulsed, primarily because the US forces were led by incompetent Generals. One was doped up on laudenum and never even went to his own front lines, the other was led by an asshat that was Court Martialed afterward.

The Canadian forces weren't the target of our raids, it was the British of course, but the C'nucks sided with the Brits as they were the lesser of two evils. It was said to be the first time that the disparate populations of C'nuckland all pulled together for a common cause - Canadians, French Canadians, German Canadians, etc etc.

They also said that these battles loom large in Canadian history, and created a "myth" that wasn't dispelled until WWI that the militias would be able to defend Canada's interests no matter what. And that the battles are remembered to this day in Canadian history and folklore, whereas in the USA they were forgotten as quickly as possible.

Absolutely true, as I'd never even known of these losses to C'nuck farmers armed with muskets and pitchforks, and I'm a historian by nature.

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The event was called the "War of 1812" and went on until 1814 I believe. There were many battles on the borders of Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario and of course the Great Lakes. Not only did the British get help from Canadians of all stripes and languages but also from the natives who by this time absolutely hated the yanks.

The reason the US Presidential Palace (as it was then called) is now painted white and called the "White House" is because during the War of 1812 the Canadians burnt it down. The black remaining structure was rebuilt and painted white to hide the charred remnants.

The US history books tend to forget events like this. I guess some Canadian producer made the PBS program. :biggrin:

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