Laura Secord. The Lost Canadian Heroine of the War of 1812

Abstract or Introduction

The outcome of the War of 1812 had major implications in the development of not only the United States, but as well on Canada. On 24 June 1812, Great Britain discovered via a messenger that the United States was asserting its power and declaring war against Great Britain. Although greatly outnumbered, Britain’s small but well trained army, commanded by such senior officers as Isaac Brock and George Prevost, was able to fend off the Americans and win the war at the border.

This victory was in large part the result of the supporting role played by the Natives and a former American woman whose allegiance to Britain was instrumental in the British maintaining their strategic position and stronghold in Canada. Specifically, Laura Secord, an American born loyalist whose family moved to Upper Canada, “lured by cheap land and low taxes”, dramatically changed the course of Canadian history by playing an essential part in the British Victory at Beaver Dams.

Nonetheless, if history affectionately nicknames Secord “The Heroine of the War of 1812”, why did it take half a century to properly compensate and recognize Secord’s instrumental role in supporting the British during the War of 1812 at Beaver Dams? This paper argues that Laura Secord’s heroic actions in June 1813 played an extremely important role in the victory at the Battle of Beaver’s Dam, and her efforts made a significant contribution in shaping Canada’s future. More specifically, by analyzing Secord before, during and after her famous 32 kilometer walk from Queenston to Beaver Dams it is evident that Secord was a pivotal figure in securing the land that would have otherwise have been claimed by the Americans. Despite her vital role Secord was completely ignored by the British and her loyalist countrymen for almost half a century.