The war of 1812: For natives, resisting American invaders was the ‘only option’
On the outbreak of the War of 1812, Thomas Jefferson declared, “The acquisition of Canada ... will be a mere matter of marching.” The prediction by the American founding father and third president seemed sensible at the time: The British were tied down in Europe fighting Napoleon. They had fewer than 1,000 regular soldiers defending Canada, and the volunteer Canadian militias in the colonies were no substitute for professional troops.
