Fort St. Joseph (Ontario)
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (June 2022) |
Established | 1796 |
---|---|
Location | Jocelyn, Ontario, Canada, on Lake Huron. |
Type | Fort |
Website | www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/en/stjoseph/ |
Designated | 1923 |
Fort St. Joseph is a former British outpost on the southernmost point of St. Joseph Island in Ontario, Canada, on Lake Huron. The fort consisted of a blockhouse, powder magazine, bakery building, Indian council house and storehouse surrounded by a palisade.
Situated on approximately 325 hectares along the
History
In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed and the newly formed United States was awarded Michilimackinac, a trading post on Mackinac Island where Lakes Huron and Michigan connect. The strategic position of Michilimackinac gave the Americans sound control of the upper Great Lakes. Forced into making an urgent decision, Lord Dorchester, then Military Governor of Canada, advised that St. Joseph Island be occupied quickly, fearing that the Americans might lay claim to the island. Lord Dorchester had hoped to compete with and possibly replace Michilimackinac as the hub of the fur trade in the region while keeping Aboriginal allegiance.
The situation was clarified by
In the summer of 1796, construction of Fort St. Joseph began.[clarification needed]
Strained relations between British and Americans became apparent in 1807 because of the foreign and trade policies of the two countries. Control over the Great Lakes and fur trade was also a factor in these strained relations. Fort St. Joseph, as yet unfinished, was undermanned and contained out of date weapons so it was exceedingly apparent that Fort St. Joseph would be unequipped and incapable in defending itself amid attack.
The Congress of United States declared war on Great Britain on 18 June 1812. Appreciating the significance of Fort St. Joseph, Major-General
Meanwhile, Americans from Detroit arrived at Fort St. Joseph to find it deserted and they burned the fort and the North West Company storehouses that were present there.
Until the end of the war, it was indisputable that Michilimackinac was British, but when the peace treaty was signed in December 1814, Michilimackinac was restored to the Americans and the British decided not to rebuild Fort St. Joseph. The British then built a fort on Drummond Island between St. Joseph and Mackinaw, but maintained the use of the powder magazine at the otherwise abandoned Fort St. Joseph. Fort St. Joseph was then forgotten when the British moved the garrison to Penetanguishene after the decline of the fur trade.
Today
Until the early 1920s, no one had undertaken a serious interest in the forgotten fort. At that time, the Sault Ste. Marie Historical Society began to explore the ruins. It wasn't until shortly after World War II that a road was built to the site and a small picnic area established.
Today, archaeological digs occur occasionally and many new artifacts are discovered with each new excavation. The park attracts a few thousand visitors annually.
See also
- Chronology of the War of 1812
- War of 1812 Campaigns
- List of forts
- Upper Canada
- Fort Mackinac
- Islands of the Great Lakes
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with:
References
- ^ ISBN 0-921341-20-2.
- John Abbott et al., The History of Fort St. Joseph (Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2000)
- Jackileen R. Rains and Elsie Hadden Mole, St. Joseph Island: A Tour and Historical Guide (Sault Ste. Marie: Journal Printing, 1988)
- Elizabeth Vincent, Fort St. Joseph: A History (Ottawa: Parks Canada, 1978)
- "Parks Canada – Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site of Canada – History," <http://www.pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/on/stjoseph/index_e.asp Archived 2006-09-28 at the Wayback Machine>
- Parks Canada, Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site brochure, undated
- Joseph and Estelle Bayliss Historic St. Joseph Island (Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Torch Press, 1938)