Conversations on the War of 1812

Conversations on the War of 1812

by History Symposium

Season 1

Tim Abel - Eastern Lake Ontario and the St, Lawrence in 1812

In the year 1812 we look at the setup and early affairs on the east end of Lake Ontario in both New York and Upper Canada and also down the St. Lawrence River towards Montreal. We welcomed a new voice in Tim Abel 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: February 19. 2026

Jim Hill: The Niagara in 1812 - The War Begins

For this episode, we turn to Jim Hill from the Niagara Parks Commission to talk to us about the nature of affairs in the year of 1812 prior to commencement of the war and then turn his attention to the conflicts along the Niagara River to close the year out including the Battle of Queenston Heights, the death of Major General Sir Isaac Brock and the lesser known Battle of Frenchman's Creek. 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.

Don Hickey - American "Old Northwest" Setting the Stage for the Upcoming War

We are so pleased to have another opportunity to talk with Don Hickey. His latest book "Tecumseh's War" serves as a great basis to look at the part of the United States that came to be known as the Old Northwest. Conflicts between the expansionist United States. aggressive settlers and the resident indigenous people created much friction and conflict in the late 18th and early 19th Century that would carry on into the War of 1812 and beyond. This is our first opportunity to meet Tecumseh, the Prophet and William Henry Harrison. You can learn more about Don and his books at: https://hickeyhistory.com/ This episode was recording on December 5th, 2025

Don Hickey: 1812: War Arrives in the Northwest

We feel so fortunate to have these opportunities to talk with prominent War of 1812 historian, Don Hickey. In this episode we come to the year 1812 and conflict begins on the western frontier of Upper Canada and the American Old Northwest. Learn about the capture of Fort Mackinaw, the massacre at Fort Dearborn and the capture of Detroit. Don Hickey is a historian and award-winning author who spent fifty years teaching in higher education. The author of twelve books and more than a hundred articles, he has been called “the dean of 1812 scholarship” by the New Yorker. He is best known for The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict (Bicentennial edition, 2012) and Don’t Give Up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812 (2006). Don consulted and lectured extensively in the United States, Canada, and the British Isles during the bicentennial of the war. For promoting public interest in history, Don received the Samuel Eliot Morison Award from the USS Constitution Museum in 2013, and while consulting with the U.S. Post Office during the bicentennial, he was quoted by name in 2015 on the sheet of stamps commemorating the Battle of New Orleans. For more on Don and his books, please visit:https://hickeyhistory.com/

Don Hickey on American Militia During the War of 1812

We had planned an episode on American Militia asking Don Hickey to join us with Don Graves. Unfortunately Don Graves passed away on November 11, 2025. Don Hickey was extremely gracious to agree to still do the episode. The result was an interesting conversation delving much deeper into a subject not commonly discussed. This episode was recorded on November 26, 2025. Don Hickey is a giant in the study of War of 1812. He is a retired American academic who has written and lectured extensively on the War of 1812. You can visit his website at: https://hickeyhistory.com/ On his website you can also find information on a number of his books, a must for any serious study on the War of 1812.

Don Hickey Reflecting on the Legacy of Don Graves

We had originally scheduled this date for an interview with the two Dons to discuss the American militia. Regrettably, Don Graves passed away on November 11, 2025. Don Hickey agreed to keep the scheduled time so that we could record a session talking about Don Graves. This session was recorded on November 26, 2025. Don Hickey is also a giant in the study of War of 1812. He is a retired American academic who has written and lectured extensively on the War of 1812. You can visit his website at: https://hickeyhistory.com/ On his website you can also find information on a number of his books, a must for any serious study on the War of 1812.

Canadian Militia and Provincial Units with Don Graves

We were thrilled to continue to have these conversations with Don. We knew he was seriously ill and we were racing against time to work through the extensive episode list that we had developed with him. This episode recorded on November 6, 2025 would be the last one that we would record with Don shortly before his passing. In this episode we look at Canadian militia regiments and how the militia was structured in Upper and Lower Canada leading into the war years. We also discuss how the structure, role and use of the militia evolved through the war. Don Graves was a well known Canadian military historian who published his first work on a War of 1812 subject in the late 1970s and since that time has brought out five books on 1812 topics as well as three volumes of memoirs and edited a new edition of a classic history of the war. Don Graves has also produced 11 books or monograph on other topics of Canadian military history ranging from 1690 to 1945.

British Army in North America with Don Graves

We were thrilled to continue to have these conversations with Don. This episode was one of two recorded on November 6th, 2025. It would be our last recording session with Don. We knew he was seriously ill and we were racing against time to work through the extensive episode list we had developed with Don. Unfortunately we ran out of time as he passed away shortly after these recordings. This episode compliments Episode 5 on the British Army with this one looking at more specifically in Canada during the War of 1812. Don Graves was a well known Canadian military historian who published his first work on a War of 1812 subject in the late 1970s and since that time has brought out five books on 1812 topics as well as three volumes of memoirs and edited a new edition of a classic history of the war. Don Graves has also produced 11 books or monograph on other topics of Canadian military history ranging from 1690 to 1945.

Donald Graves - the British Army at the Time of the War of 1812

Our conversations with noted War of 1812 expert Don Graves continue with a look at the British Army. We decided to split this topic into two episodes. 5) a General view of the British Army and its structure 6) the British Army as it was in Canada during the War of 1812. Don was one of the foremost Canadian historians. We knew he was seriously ill and when he agreed to record these episodes with us, we were racing against time. Don passed away around November 11, 2025. This recording was made on October 29, 2025.

The American Army Through the War of 1812

Prominent Canadian Historian, Don Graves joined us once again as we build out this playlist tapping into his encyclopedic knowledge of the War of 1812. In this episode we examine the American Army, Particularly its evolution into a highly professional army. Discussed is the transition from the American Revolutionary War to the frontier conflicts in the American Northwest to the outset of the War. From a disastrous start in 1812, the seeds are planted for the rapid evolution into a professional army. One that would be create a very professional Officer class for the American-Mexican War which in turn would develop young Officers who would have a prominent role during the American Civil War. This episode was recorded on October 24th approximately 3 weeks before Don's passing.

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