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Conversations on the War of 1812

Conversations on the War of 1812

by History Symposium

Season 2

Thomas Malcomson - Naval Activity on the Great Lakes - 1813

A wide ranging and fascinating discussion on the increasing professionalism of the navies on the Great Lakes through the sailing season of 1813. We will treat the Battle of Lake Erie as a future standalone episode. In this episode we will hear about: The arm races on Lake Ontario and Lake Erie Amphibious landings supporting land actions The sinking of the Hamilton and Scourge on Lake Ontario The preservation of their wrecks The Burlington Races And what Thomas calls the decisively indecisive sailing season of 1813 Thomas has previously supported us with a presentation at our 2025 conference in Mississauga, ON where he talked about the British capture, defense and ultimate loss of Mackinac. That video can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/live/7lAH7o4Y... Thomas Malcomson, PhD, was as a professor in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, at George Brown College, Toronto, for 32 years. He taught courses in psychology, dying, death and bereavement, and in the history of labour, genocide, and eugenics. He has written and presented extensively on the British Navy at the end of the long 18th century, with a focus on the War of 1812, and the following decades on the Great Lakes. He is the past president of the Canadian Nautical Research Society, which publishes the journal The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord. This episode was recorded on July 7, 2026

Frederick Carsted - Swiss Regiments in British Service

Frederick Carsted joins us to discuss the two Swiss Regiments that arrived in Canada in 1813 during the War of 1812. Hear about: The De Meuron Regiment The De Watteville Regiment The night assault on Fort Erie Lord Selkirk and the Red River Settlement Perth Military Settlement The Pemmican Wars Frederick based out of Winnipeg, Manitoba is a retired teacher and a long time reenactor with a variety of interests. Frederick has been instrumental in the activities of the reenacting group the Forces of Lord Selkirk and has long studied the Swiss Regiments which they interpret. This episode was recorded on June 19, 2026

Jim Hill - Niagara in the Summer of 1813

Wedged between a frantic spring of 1813 with a number of major actions and a dramatic autumn, not a lot of attention is spent on the summer of 1813. In the Niagara region of Upper Canada it was actually a busy time! Join us as we have Jim Hill discuss: Laura Secord Lt. James FitzGibbon Battle of Beaver Dams Cecil Bisshop Peter Porter Black Rock Reconnaissance in Force Jim Hill is a long-standing heritage professional with the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), where he plays a key role in preserving and interpreting the cultural and historical legacy of the Niagara region. He has been with NPC since 1996, contributing decades of leadership in heritage planning and public programming. Professional Background: Hill has worked in heritage interpretation and historical programming for multiple Canadian organizations, including Parks Canada and the Friends of Fort George prior to joining the Niagara Parks Commission. He is responsible for developing and managing programs that tell the stories of the people, places, and events that have shaped the Niagara area’s past. This includes Indigenous history, early settlement, military heritage, and the broader cultural landscape. Role at Niagara Parks Commission: At NPC, Jim Hill holds the title Senior Manager, Heritage & Legacy (sometimes styled Superintendent of Heritage and Legacy), overseeing heritage projects, interpretive planning, and commemorative initiatives across NPC sites. Military and Personal Background: Beyond his heritage career, Hill is a retired Captain in the Reserve Army with the Royal Canadian Artillery, bringing both historical and practical military insight to his work. This episode was recorded on June 12, 2026

Craig Williams - Battle of Stoney Creek, June 1813

It is June of 1813. In Upper Canada, the town of York has been captured by the Americans. The Americans then attacked and captured Fort George in the community of Niagara. The British Army withdraws from the Niagara to Burlington Heights. The Americans send a large column to eliminate the British. The result is covered in this episode on the Battle of Stoney Creek. We are delighted to have our friend Craig Williams join us to discuss the battle. A veteran of the film industry, Craig has had a life long interest in the War of 1812 and has also pioneered reenacting events of the War of 1812 at a number of historic sites in Ontario. This episode was recorded on June 3, 2026

Andrew Lambert - Frigate Duels of the War of 1812

Dr. Andrew Lambert joins us to discuss the ship to ship actions on the Atlantic Ocean during the War of 1812 that we are calling the frigate duels! USS Constitution vs. HMS Guerriere USS Constitution vs. HMS Java USS Chesapeake vs. HMS Shannon USS President vs. HMS Endymion Andrew Lambert is Laughton Professor of Naval History in the Department of War Studies at King’s College, London, and Director of the Laughton Naval History Unit. His work focuses on the naval, strategic and cultural history of the British Empire between the Napoleonic Wars and the First World War, the evolution of naval historical writing and the history of technology. He has lectured on aspects of his work around the world, and made several television documentaries. His books include: The Crimean War: British Grand Strategy against Russia 1853-1856. Manchester 1990 & 2011,’The Foundations of Naval History’: Sir John Laughton, the Royal Navy and the Historical Profession. 1997, Nelson: Britannia’s God of War. 2004, Admirals. 2008, Franklin: Tragic Hero of Polar Navigation. 2009, The Challenge: the Naval War of 1812, 2012, winner of Anderson Medal of the Society for Nautical Research, Crusoe’s Island: A rich and curious history of pirates, castaways and madness, 2016, Seapower States: Maritime Culture, Continental Empires and the conflict that has shaped the modern world, Yale 2018 won the Gilder Lehrman Prize for Military History, and The British Way of War: Julian Corbett and the battle for national strategy, Yale 2021. He is a Fellow of Kings College London. This episode was recorded on May 18, 2026

Tim Abel - Second Battle of Sackets Harbor, May 29, 1813

We welcome back Tim Abel! In this episode we are at the end of May 1813. With the American fleet away supporting amphibious assaults on York and and Fort George, the British decided to mount an assault. For a map of the area around Sackets Harbor, please go to: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/w/wcl1ic/x-947/wcl001041 You can also look at our poster! Tim is from Carthage, New York (near Sackets Harbor). Tim has a PhD in Anthropology. - 33 years experience in archaeological field methods. - 30 years experience in laboratory methods. - 30 years supervising work crews on surveys and excavations. - 27 years as project director on surveys and excavations. - 17 years as principal investigator - 10 years as an instructor of anthropology. Author or coauthor of 34 professional articles, 2 theses, 4 book reviews and a monograph. - Author or coauthor of more than 50 conference presentations. - Author or coauthor of more than 160 cultural resource management reports. Specialties and Interests Ceramics, Great Lakes Prehistory and Ethnohistory, Late Archaic/ Early Woodland political economy, the St. Lawrence Iroquoians, War of 1812. Recording date: May 28. 2026

Alex Watt - Battle of Fort George, May 27, 1813

Alex Watt is a member of the 41st Corp of Drums at Fort George National Historic Site in Niagara-On-The-Lake. He joined us to discuss the May 1813 American attack on the town of Newark, Upper Canada and the capture of Fort George. This episode was recorded on May 6, 2026 https://parks.canada.ca/lhn-nhs/on/fortgeorge

Tom Taylor - Battle of York. April 27, 1813

Author Tom Taylor who has written a number of War of 1812 themed books joins us to discuss the Battle of York. Tom's website: https://www.tomtaylor.ca/books On April 27, 1813 a major American flotilla arrives off the town and garrison of York (modern day Toronto) and conducted an amphibious assault. Learn more in this episode!

Don Hickey & John Thompson - Battle of Fort Meigs

Prominent American Historian and War of 1812 expert, Don Hickey and Program Manager at Fort Meigs, John Thompson join us once again to discuss the construction of Fort Meigs in Ohio during the winter/early spring of 1813 and its immediate siege by the British. This episode will also cover the May 1813 Battle of Fort Meigs. Fort Meigs: https://fortmeigs.org/ Don Hickey: https://hickeyhistory.com/ Recorded on April 19, 2026

Don Hickey & John Thompson - Battle of the River Raisin

Prominent American Historian and War of 1812 expert, Don Hickey and Program Manager at Fort Meigs, John Thompson join us to discuss the actions on the River Raisin in the Michigan Territory on January 1813. Battle of Frenchtown Battle of the River Raisin Fort Meigs: https://fortmeigs.org/ Don Hickey: https://hickeyhistory.com/ Recorded on April 19, 2026

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