The Bicentennial of the War of 1812

The War of 1812 conference held May 2012, was hosted by the Naval Marine Archive – The Canadian Collection. This Annual Conference of Canadian Nautical Research Society / Société canadienne pour la recherche nautique addressed nautical, political, ethnological and related themes treating the causes, events and outcomes surrounding the events of 1812-1814 with a very broad approach including geographical perspectives from Europe and both sides of the North American participation.

Hosted on the shores of Lake Ontario, this conference was held at The Victory in Picton, where an exhibition of "War of 1812" art with many pieces by the members of the Canadian Society of Marine Artists, complemented the conference.

Below will give you a glimpse of the conference.

Sarah Gibson presented a paper on "The Indian Act of 1830, an analysis of Indian-Crown Relations in the aftermath of the War of 1812". Roy Wright shared his extensive knowledge about "Communications on the St Lawrence and the Lakes: Indigenous Boating and Water Ways in Fur Trade and in War." and author, historian and reenactor Victor Suthren explained about "Conjuring The Past: The Navy's Colonial Sailor Program."

The annual dinner concluded with the prize giving. The award for the best article of 2011 was presented to George Bolotenko for Wartime Explosions in Archangel, 1916-1917: "Bakaritsa is Burning"; "Ekonomiia is Now a Wasteland". Queen's student James Walton presented research on 'The Forgotten Bitter Truth:' The War of 1812 and the Foundation of an American Naval Myth while the University of British Columbia student Natalie Anderson examined British Ballads and Yankee Ditties: The Musical War of 1812. during this conference. The award for the best book published in 2011 was presented to James Pritchard for A Bridge of Ships: Canadian Shipbuilding during the Second World War.