The US has for many years had a philosophy of their manifest destiny is to take over the entire North American Continent. The first time I am aware they stated this as their official policy was under President Monroe in 1823 with the Monroe Doctrine. Both before then and since they have regularly tried to implement this policy and failed. Of course it appears we have a secret weapon ensconced in the White House in the form of Musk who sometimes is credited as a Canadian -he is not Canadian, he was born in South Africa, but having him as the “ on the scene puppet master” for Trump is bound to add confusion to any invasion of Canada by Trump.
1. 1775: During the American Revolutionary War, American forces under General Richard Montgomery invaded Quebec City, and later, General Benedict Arnold’s forces attempted to capture Montreal.
2. War of 1812 (1812-1814): The United States invaded Upper Canada (now Ontario) multiple times, including the invasions led by Generals William Hull, Henry Procter, and Winfield Scott. The British and Canadian forces repelled these invasions. British troops did set fire to the Presidential Mansion (now known as the White House) on August 24, 1814, during the Burning of Washington, D.C.
3. 54° 40' or Fight The southern boundary of the United States with Mexico was not the only western territory under dispute. The Oregon Territory spanned the modern states of Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, as well as the western coast of Canada up to the border of Russian Alaska. Both Great Britain and America claimed the territory. The Treaty of 1818 called for joint occupation of Oregon — a solution that was only temporary. Led by missionaries, American settlers began to outnumber British settlers by the late 1830s. But Britain was not Mexico. Its powerful navy was still the largest in the world. Twice before had Americans taken up arms against their former colonizers at great expense to each side. Prudence would suggest a negotiated settlement, but the spirit of manifest destiny dominated American thought. Yet another great showdown loomed.
4. The Dickson Filibuster // 1836The first minor American invasion of Canada was very minor indeed. James Dickson first appears in history in 1835, when he declared that he would create an Indian federation with himself as president. The first step in his plan to create an empire spanning the western half of North America was to seize the fur outposts of Manitoba, where Métis scouts had a tense relationship with the Hudson’s Bay Company. He left Buffalo, New York in August 1836 with 60 volunteers.
By the time they reached Manitoba in late December, most of Dickson’s volunteers had deserted and he only had a dozen followers. Hudson’s Bay Company officials offered jobs to his men, and a couple of months later Dickson gave up, vanishing into the West. He left no trace after disappearing in February 1837, although several of his volunteers became prominent local leaders.
5. The Patriot War // 18371838: The Patriot War, also known as the Lumberjack War or Pork and Beans War, was a border dispute between the United States and British North America (now Canada) over logging rights. Although not a full-scale invasion, American forces were mobilized to defend the disputed territory, and a treaty was eventually signed to resolve the issue.
6. 1866: The Fenian Raids, led by Irish-American insurgents, attempted to invade Canada from the United States. Two raids took place, one near Fort Erie and another near Windsor, Ontario. Both were repelled by British and Canadian forces.
7. 1870: A small group of Fenians attempted to invade Manitoba, but they were arrested by Canadian authorities before crossing the border.
8. 1920s: War Plan Red, a secret US military plan, outlined a hypothetical invasion of Canada and defeat of British forces on Canadian soil. Although not implemented, it demonstrates the US military’s consideration of a potential invasion.
9. 1930s: A revised version of War Plan Red, also known as Defense Scheme No. 1, was developed, outlining a plan to invade Canada and defeat British forces.
10. The Oka Crisis // 1990 The last American invasion of Canada was a curiosity—a group of armed Mohawk Indians who were U.S. citizens traveled to Quebec at the invitation of militants at the Kanesatake Mohawk reservation to protest the expansion of a golf course on disputed land; politics within the Mohawk nation were deeply divided on both sides of the border. On July 11, 1990, after two months of confrontation, over 100 Quebecois police charged the Mohawk militants’ barricades; one of the policemen was killed in the subsequent firefight.
By August, the 200 militants (including 30 U.S. citizens) were surrounded by 4400 Canadian Army troops. Many people were evacuated on August 28, although the standoff continued for another month and dozens of Mohawks and Canadian soldiers would be hospitalized for injuries sustained in fighting. The government ultimately bought the land to stop the development of the golf course.
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