The Brock Monument at Queenston Heights in the Niagara Region stands as a commemoration for the British Major-General Sir Isaac Brock who moved to inspire Upper Canadians that the American threat could be contained during the War of 1812. Sir Isaac Brock was assigned to Canada in 1802. Initially he resented this posting, as he longed for the battlefields of Europe. Despite his resentment Brock would lead Upper Canadians and Indigenous allies to convincing victories during the War of 1812. Most noteworthy being Mackinac and Detroit. When the American forces took Queenston Heights Brock led his forces to the attack where Brock was shot down by the Americans. Despite the loss of Brock the British forces under Roger Sheaffe would defeat the Americans at Queenston Heights taking approximately 950 prisoners ending the American offensive. Both Brock and Sheaffe are buried beneath the monument. The War of 1812 demonstrates just how close "Canadians" came to being incorporated in the American fold, and just how plausible American control of the entirety of North America truly was.


Moving along from historical fact...the details of my visit are also of vital importance to this project.


Upon entering the monument I was first greeted by two women, one young and one more seasoned. Both were dressed in 19th century citizen attire with a friendly and welcoming disposition. On the bottom floor of the monument there are a number of plaques commemorating Sir Isaac Brock and the War of 1812. There is no doubt a particular emphasis on the "Britishness" of Upper Canada at this time period, and not necessarily wrongly so considering of course that this is the burial site of a British Major General who defended "British North America." What was clearly missing within the commemoration pieces was a tribute to the Indigenous peoples of Canada who fought alongside the British throughout the War of 1812. Most notably missing was a recognition of Tecumseh, who Brock conspired with for a number of days during the war. It is only outside the monument that you find a small commemoration for Tecumseh and other Native allies that has been placed at the steps of the monument by an Indigenous awareness group, noting that it is not an official Government commemoration.

The ascent of 235 stone steps to the top of the monument is well worth the four dollars it will set you back, and the despite the burning you will feel in your legs after, the view is spectacular. With the United States-Canada border in plain sight at the top of the monument it becomes near impossible to forget that we are just so close.


What strikes me about the monument?:

1. The emphasis on the "Britishness" of Upper Canada during this time period

2. The lack of commemoration for Indigenous Allies


Though the emphasis on the "Britishness" is not totally misplaced I found it to come at a cost for the recognition of Indigenous allies during this time period. Arguably without the assistance from the Indigenous, Brock would not have been able to make gains at Mackinac and Detroit, or for that matter the Battle of Queenston Heights that ended a convincing American offensive.



Overall, one can find that the monument stands as a commemoration not only for Brock but for the "Britishness" of Upper Canada and the hegemony the British held for so long over this expanse. The monument attempts to show us that we are not "Americans" and that "Canadians" were rallied by Brock to defend their holdings. As mentioned earlier the monument does not give light to the complexity of Upper Canada at this time, leaving out the experience of Indigenous allies and their triumphs in this time period.

"Canada is the only country in the world that knows how to live without an identity."

What does it mean to study history and what exactly do you do anyways?

Very rare is there a day that goes by where I am not confronted with these questions or similar manifestations of them by friends, co-workers, family members and so forth. Usually I work to convince them of the legitimacy of my field of study and just where it may lead me. Although as of late I have come to the conclusion that maybe instead of attempting to convince them of what I do, I should show them what I do. To show them what I do I have embarked on a project beginning right now as I type these words that will take me on a journey through history. I have decided that this project will become a manifestation of my own personal research, and will serve to highlight the possibility of a published work. By this point I would imagine that some of you are already becoming dreary eyed, and restless over what this project could possibly entail. Well, in noting that I have had for the last few years an increasing interest in Canadian history and more importantly how Canadian history is related to the national identity of Canada, and really whether or not Canada has an identity it becomes obvious that my first project will centre around these notions. Inspired by the works of H.V. Nelles and John Ralston Saul, The Art of Nation building by Nelles, and A Fair Country by Saul, I intend to attempt to understand the commemoration of Canada and its history by visiting a cross section of open-air museums, closed museums, and heritage sites across the nation in the hopes of uncovering what history has come to tell us about Canada, and more broadly how history has been remembered, including of course who becomes involved with the historical narrative. This is as far into the question as I will go for now, in the anticipation of discovering more connections as I go.

I intend to begin the first part of my project within Quebec and Ontario as both are the most geographically accessible to both myself and my bank account at the moment. By contrasting regions in Canada I hope to come out with a complete picture, or maybe more importantly a collage. The Following consists of the sites at which I will conduct the work on the first part of my investigation:

1. Quebec City and the Plains of Abraham

2. Kawartha Settlers Village

3. Westfield Heritage Site

4. Fort Henry

5. Fort George and the Brock Monument

6. Her Majesty's Chapel of the Mohawks

7. Upper Canada Village

8. Fort York

9. Crawford Lake Native Village

10. Dundas Heritage Museum

Will I find that Canada suffers from too much geography? Does Canada really not have an identity? Is the proposed complexity of Canada a working force?


Lets find out.