The War of 1812 and Ontario's Legislature

The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and Britain, and proved to be a pivotal moment in North American history. Ontario’s Legislature, founded as the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada in 1792, has a direct historic connection to the war. In 1812, the Assembly was meeting in a set of one-storey brick buildings in York (Toronto), the colonial capital. At the outbreak of war, Assembly sessions were suspended as many of the legislators took up arms with the local militia and headed into battle – some facing the Americans on the front line during the Battle of York on April 27, 1813.