War of 1812: Violence, glory and a new Canadian-ness

I'm a Nova Scotian (born to Nova Scotian parents in North York, Ontario and raised from Grade 1-12 in Chicago, but Nova Scotian nonetheless, and in Halifax now) and I had never heard of Nova Scotia being referred to as "The 14th Colony," though I do suppose it makes sense.

My own family (father's side, my surname)came to the North American colonies in 1634 from England to Boston, later going to New Hampshire, then to Nova Scotia to fight at Louisbourg and finally settling on land grants around Truro where the family farm still is today (with my Louisbourg ancestor's officer's sword on the mantel).

Growing up in the States with summers in Nova Scotia made the differences between us and the similarities between my Canadian family and my American friends very clear and hard to describe to one side or the other.

Always the proud Canadian in school or work in the States, yet always the first to defend the States from ignorant comments from my Canadian friends in university in Ontario, I love both countries and feel at home in either one, though Canada (particularly Nova Scotia) is and always will be my home... At heart if not physically!

Here's to 200 years of much more congenial cross-border relations... Yankees, I salute you! After all, if it weren't for me Anglo-Saxon English forbears' love of fighting the French, I'd be a New Englander!

I don't know where the term colony originated on early American maps on the oldest maps of British North America 1664-1775 colony is not the term used to describe the parcels of land within.
Instead the word Province is used as in the 13 Province's Georgia, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, South Carolina, Maryland,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and last but not least
Rode Island.
Nice story... I have never been to the east coast or visited the Province's of
Quebec, Newfoundland, Newbrunswick,PEI or Nova Scotia I'm sure they are quite beautiful, historical and have great beer.

Have any of you watched Explosion 1812? It's on the History Channel and I thought it was very explanatory.

History on the History Channel? Surely you jest. I tuned in June 6 figuring I might see a documentary on D-Day. What was on? Swamp People. Drunken inbred Cajun rednecks killing alligators. Is D-Day important? Of course. Are there lots of good history videos on D-Day? Of course. Would they have any actual history on the History Channel on D-Day? Of course not.

That was a very good show. Although their statements about French English and Indians all working together foreshadowed multicultural Canada and how afterwards, English speakers began to call themselves Canadians is going to make someone claim it was biased.

If you mean History Television, they did have several shows on D-Day and WW2, they were all just during the daytime, or late night (after 11pm). But their primetime line-up was exactly as you noted.

The advantage of being retired!