The fort was used by the British Army and the Canadian militia for its garrisons, and to defend the entrance of the Toronto Harbour. On April 30, Dearborn returned control to the local authorities and ordered his men to re-embark. In 1813, American commanders around Lake Ontario elected to move against York (present-day Toronto), the capital of Upper Canada. In the wake of the failed campaigns of 1812, newly re-elected President James Madison was forced to reassess the strategic situation along the Canadian border. Seeing the rivers and lakes to the North as key routes for trade and transportation, Americans attempted, unsuccessfully at first, to gain control of Canada. Help Bring the Western Theater Battlefield Experience Online, Kentuckians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation, Virginians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643.

The Battle of York was an easy win for Americans as they eyed expansion into Canada in the first years of the War of 1812. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law.

Fort York (French: Fort-York) is an early 19th-century military fortification in the Fort York neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. In preparation for the main American push at Lake Ontario, Major General Henry Dearborn was ordered to position 3,000 men at Buffalo for a strike against Forts Erie and George as well as 4,000 men at Sackets Harbor. Success on this front also required control of the lake.


Coming ashore, his men were met by intense fire from a group of Native Americans under James Givins.

At the time the British had only 750 troops, comprised of British, Canadians, Mississaugas, and Ojibways, defending the town of York. Though a victory for American forces, the attack on York cost them a promising commander and did little to alter the strategic situation on Lake Ontario. With Pike dead, Colonel Cromwell Pearce took command and re-formed the American forces. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. Instructing the militia to make the best terms possible with the Americans, Sheaffe and regulars retreated east, burning the shipyard as they departed. The looting and burning of the town led to calls for revenge across Upper Canada and set the precedent for subsequent burnings, including that of Washington, DC in 1814. Donate today to preserve War of 1812 battlefields and the nation’s history for generations to come.

While Chauncey fretted about possible ice around Kingston, Dearborn was concerned about the size of the British garrison. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store.

The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. Though lacking in strategic value, York presented an easier target than the main British base on the lake at Kingston. Donate today to preserve War of 1812 battlefields and the nation’s history for generations to come. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law.

The situation came to a head when the Parliament buildings burned. After prolonged talks, a surrender agreement was produced on April 28 and the remaining British forces paroled.

The battle did little to advance either side’s dominant control of Canadian waters, but the easy victory boosted American morale, fueling the fire for continued attempts at expansion into Canada. Before doing so, he ordered other government and military buildings in the town, including the Governor's Residence, deliberately burned. But first, the Americans waited for the thaw of the frigid Lake Ontario before launching their spring-time attack in 1813. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Commodore Chauncey took his schooners with Pike’s men across the lake from their post at Sackett’s Harbor to York. Having crossed the lake, American forces began landing approximately three miles west of York on April 27. By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, War of 1812: Success on Lake Erie, Failure Elsewhere, War of 1812 Major General Sir Isaac Brock, Battle of Crysler's Farm in the War of 1812, War of 1812: Advances in the North & A Capital Burned, War of 1812: Surprises at Sea & Ineptitude on Land, Zebulon Pike's Mysterious Western Expeditions, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University, 700 regulars, militia, and Native Americans. A famed explorer who had traversed the American West, Pike's first wave was led by Major Benjamin Forsyth and a company of the 1st US Rifle Regiment. Early in 1813, American strategy centered on Lake Ontario and the Niagara Frontier to the south.

Meeting at Sackets Harbor, Dearborn and Chauncey began to have misgivings about the Kingston operation despite the fact that the objective was only thirty miles away. On April 27th 1813 in York, Ontario, now present-day Toronto, 2,700 Americans stormed Fort York, defeating the 750 British and Ojibwa Indians defending what was at the time the capitol of Upper Canada. In the day's fighting, the American force lost 55 killed and 265 wounded, mostly as a result of the magazine explosion. Though Americans managed to capture Fort York and forced the British to retreat to Kingston, this victory came at a high cost and had little strategic benefit. Landing with three more companies, Pike began forming his men when they were attacked by the grenadier company of the 8th Regiment of Foot. Divisions of the American Battlefield Trust: The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal Identification Number (EIN): 54-1426643. Departing on April 25, Chauncey's ships carried Dearborn's troops across the lake to York. At Sackets Harbor, Chauncey had rapidly constructed a fleet that had wrested naval superiority away from the British. Despite the ratification of the surrender terms, the situation in York did not improve and soldiers continued to loot private homes, as well as public buildings such as the town library and St. James Church. His advance was supported by two 6-pdr guns while Chauncey's ships began a bombardment of the fort and Government House Battery. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Seen as a coward for giving up the fort, Sheaffe was soon called back to Britain, where he lived until his death. Please consider making a gift today to help raise the $170,000 we need to preserve this piece of American history forever. Landing on April 27, American forces were able to overwhelm York's defenders and captured the town, though promising young commander Brigadier General Zebulon Pike was lost in the process. On April 27th 1813 in York, Ontario, now present-day Toronto, 2,700 Americans stormed Fort York, defeating the 750 British and Ojibwa Indians defending the Canadian capital. Though of minimal strategic value, York was the capital of Upper Canada and Chauncey had intelligence that two brigs were under construction there. Success on both fronts would sever the lake from Lake Erie and the St. Lawrence River. The victor of the Battle of Queenston Heights, Sheaffe possessed three companies of regulars, as well as around 300 militia and as many as 100 Native Americans. British General Sheaffe soon realized that his men were outnumbered and overwhelmed by land and water. Secretary of War John Armstrong Jr. and General Henry Dearborn planned to concentrate soldiers in New York at Sackett’s Harbor, then use that force to capture Kingston, a hub for British naval vessels. It was believed that victory in and around Lake Ontario would cut off Upper Canada and open the way for an attack on Montreal. Once Americans gained control of the beachhead, Chauncey’s ships bombarded the battery and fort west of the town of York and Pike moved in with his troops. Outflanking Givins, the Americans were able to secure the beachhead with the assistance of Chauncey's guns. The Battle of York was an easy win for Americans as they eyed expansion into Canada in the first years of the War of 1812. The Battle of York was fought April 27, 1813, during the War of 1812 (1812-1815).
Though Americans managed to capture Fort York and forced the British to retreat to Kingston, this victory came at a high cost and had little strategic benefit.

Divisions of the American Battlefield Trust: The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Further west was the small "Western Battery" which possessed two 18-pdr guns. In 1813, American commanders around Lake Ontario elected to move against York (present-day Toronto), the capital of Upper Canada. Every purchase supports the mission. The first major test of Fort York occurred on April 27, 1813, during the War of 1812, when the U.S. Army and Navy staged an attack on York with 2700 men on fourteen ships. The fort features stone-lined earthwork walls and eight historical buildings within them, including two blockhouses.

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