Who led 460 soldiers to defeat an American force of 4,000 at Châteauguay in 1813?
- Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry
- Louis-Joseph Papineau
- Sir Arthur Currie
- Sir Isaac Brock
Answer: Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry
In 1813 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry and 460 soldiers, mostly French Canadiens, turned back 4,000 American invaders at Châteauguay, south of Montreal. The victory shows that French Canadians helped defend Canada in the War of 1812.
Learn more: The War of 1812
- After the Battle of Trafalgar (1805) the Royal Navy ruled the seas. Americans resented British interference with their shipping.
- The United States invaded Canada in June 1812, believing it would be easy to conquer.
- First Nations, including the Shawnee led by Chief Tecumseh, helped British soldiers and Canadian volunteers defend Canada.
- Major-General Sir Isaac Brock captured Detroit but was killed defending Queenston Heights, near Niagara Falls. The Americans lost that battle.
- In 1813 Lieutenant-Colonel Charles de Salaberry and 460 soldiers, mostly French Canadiens, turned back 4,000 Americans at Châteauguay, south of Montreal.
- In 1813 Laura Secord walked about 30 km (19 miles) to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon of an American attack, helping win the Battle of Beaver Dams.
- In 1813 the Americans burned Government House and the Parliament Buildings in York (now Toronto).
- In 1814 Major-General Robert Ross led an expedition from Nova Scotia that burned the White House in Washington, D.C. He was later buried in Halifax.
- By 1814 the American invasion had failed. The war ensured Canada stayed independent of the United States, and today’s border is partly a result of it.
- Britain paid for defences that are now popular historic sites: the Citadels at Halifax and Québec City, the Halifax naval drydock and Fort Henry at Kingston.
- The Duke of Wellington chose Bytown (Ottawa) as the end of the Rideau Canal, so he played a direct role in founding the national capital.