Constructed by order of Lieutenant Governor Simcoe 1796-99, Fort George served as the HQ for Major-General Brock in 1812. In May, 1813, it was bombarded and captured by the Americans who constructed fortifications of their own on the site.
These in turn were retaken by the British in Dec., 1813. Mine, yours, c'mere, get away...
In 1815 Fort George was falling apart and was ordered abandoned.
The Fort is a reconstruction dated 1937-40, it resembles the way it looked in 1733-1813.
Parks Canada offers a 3-D tour of this, and other people, places and things: species at risk, technology, migration, women in history, northern parks, and ethnocultural communities.
These are all my photos from our 2008 trip. Hooray for virtual field trips!
The photos speak for themselves. Our interpreter spoke for those who have passed.
Intolerable conditions, with people divided into classes, cold, poverty and hunger.
The rank and file lived in flea-infested quarters.
The officer's mess was quite lovely. As were their quarters in separate buildings.
Immortalized: King George's lovely wife.
The officer's sitting room.
I wish I had had this photo (below) when teaching gr. 8. I needed, often, to explain:
"Here is where the pot called the kettle black."
The reloading took a long time. They had poor aim, these guns, and could be off by 9 feet!
They stored ammunition in a building outside the wall. This is the 'powder room!'
8 comments:
These places are really emotional, I am glad that I wasn't around then.
Interesting bit of history. The haves still out rank the have-nots---after all these years.
Fits in well with the posts I've been doing on the War of 1812. It is a benefit to the country that Fort George has been reconstructed as a reminder of the hardships the British endured to keep Canada free from a foreign invasion.
I remember reading somewhere that men who manned the 'powder room' were in bare feet and not allowed to wear boots in case of making sparks.
Nice photos.
I love the Shaw Festival and Niagara on the Lake. These are great pics.
Thanks for sharing. It must be delightful to see your son perform. He is a handsome fellow.
The Fort pictures and history were great as well. We have only been to Canada a couple of times, but I love hearing and learning more about it.
Thanks for the tour. Interesting stuff.
Barbara, you inspired me! After dropping 'History' in gr. 9, nearly failing it, the Universe keeps sending me messages to pay attention to it!
I am sensitive to the fact that our American cousins read out blogs, thanks for that litre/gallon reminder, and find it a good principle to honour the past.
Thanks for the tour! They have done a great job recreating life as it was.
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