# How's Your Town's War of 1812 Bicentennial Celebration Going? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252 "2012-03-19T20:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/1 "2012-03-19T20:54:22Z")
I volnteered to serve as my town’s 1812 War Commoration Coordinator-but nobody seems interested. Is your town doing anything? ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/2 "2012-03-19T20:55:53Z")
Considering my town, much less my state, didn’t exist then I’d have to say no. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/3 "2012-03-19T21:00:14Z")
Nothing going on in my neck of the woods, nor in my state that I know of. I’m just kicking around til I see the country’s tricentennial, if there still is a country then. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/4 "2012-03-19T21:13:11Z")
I’ve spent roughly half my life in New York City and half in Austin, Texas. I haven’t seen or heard of ANY observations commemorating the War of 1812 in either place. Indeed, apart from our national anthem, most Americans have pretty much forgotten what little they ever learned about the War of 1812. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/5 "2012-03-19T21:48:43Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I volnteered to serve as my town’s 1812 War **Commoration** Coordinator-but nobody seems interested. > Is your town doing anything? I can’t imagine why. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/6 "2012-03-19T22:30:09Z")
I live almost upon the site of ‘The battle of the Thames’, and I haven’t heard squat! ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/7 "2012-03-19T22:37:39Z")
We’re much too busy gearing up for our annual Victory over Grenada Day celebration. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/8 "2012-03-19T22:59:37Z")
We’re planning to march and burn down Toronto. The Schenectady Massacre will be avenged! ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/9 "2012-03-19T23:24:09Z")
We talked about taking a trip and burning down the White House again but no one could figure out how to make it clear this was an “1812” thing and not a “get the president” thing. So basically all the fun is off due to a failure in marketing. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/10 "2012-03-20T00:24:57Z")
I’m in Toledo, right near [Fort Meigs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Meigs). The weekly paper is running a [column](http://www.toledofreepress.com/2012/03/01/kuron-fearlessness-on-display-during-war-of-1812/) from a local historian on the war and there are a handful of events running at the parks and libraries focused on it. Not exactly a ticker-tape parade, but we’re not totally ignoring the anniversary. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/11 "2012-03-20T00:27:54Z")
My town, Fairhaven, MA, was incorporated on February 22, 1812, when we split from New Bedford over political differences regarding the War of 1812. (We supported President Madison and the war; the New Bedford Quakers supported George Clinton and were against the war.) So my town is celebrating its own bicentennial this year. We had and Incorporation Day program, fireworks and a bonfire back in February, a Bicentennial Banquet and Ball two weeks ago and there’s a week-long slate of special events scheduled for June 30 through July 8, among other things. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/12 "2012-03-20T00:28:00Z")
I work near Lewiston, NY. It’s a pretty big deal there, seeing as the entire town got burned down in the war. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/13 "2012-03-20T00:28:27Z")
Canada is definitely celebrating: [government website on the bicentennial](http://1812.gc.ca/). ETA: Since British Columbia didn’t exist then, either, there doesn’t seem to be much here. Waiting until the 200th anniversary of the Oregon Boundary Dispute! ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/14 "2012-03-20T01:58:35Z")
I live close to Gettysburg. There is no 1812 here, only 1863. I do happen to own a Brown Bess musket that I can fire off in your general direction if it makes you feel better. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/15 "2012-03-20T04:52:11Z")
I think all the local veterans have shown up. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/16 "2012-03-20T14:55:45Z")
Maybe the upcoming bicentennial of the [Pig War](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_war), in 2059, will arouse more passion? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/17 "2012-03-20T15:24:17Z")
Who is the DC coordinator? ---
**Author:** ![WreckingCrew](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wreckingcrew/32/4080_2.png) [@WreckingCrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WreckingCrew)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/18 "2012-03-20T16:43:14Z")
Ten days ago I gave a talk about how the War of 1812 and the embargoes leading up to it spurred a boom in the local textile industry, which also happens to be America’s first textile industry center so we think it is kind of a big deal. I had about 80 people show up. I had a Power Point and everything. That will be the basis for a museum exhibit that will open on Labor Day. Come on by, bring the kids. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2012, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/19 "2012-03-20T22:12:53Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Canada is definitely celebrating: [government website on the bicentennial](http://1812.gc.ca/). ETA: Since British Columbia didn’t exist then, either, there doesn’t seem to be much here. Waiting until the 200th anniversary of the Oregon Boundary Dispute! I think Fort Langley NHS is cooking something up, since they owe their existence in part to the jiggery-pokery going on at Fort George/Astoria during the War of 1812, what with poor [HMS Raccoon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Racoon_(1808)) coming halfway around the world on what turned out to be a fool’s errand. We at Fort Rodd Hill NHS on Vancouver Island will be fielding a student in full 104th Foot uniform, with musket, to talk (and shoot) about why the War of 1812 is important to western Canada–namely, had we lost, there would be no western Canada. I am looking forward to seeing the redcoat alongside our WWI and WWII riflemen and machine-gunners at our weekend “Firepower” demonstrations. Should be fun. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252/20 "2012-03-21T00:58:13Z")
There is some noise here about celebrating “repelling the Yankee invaders”. People here seem to think the war of 1812 was over annexation of Canada and seem to be unaware of either the sea war or of any connection with the Napoleanic wars. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hows-your-towns-war-of-1812-bicentennial-celebration-going/616252.md?page=2)