Video
Fort York National Historic Site Introduction
Transcript
Fort York stands in the heart of downtown Toronto and is the birthplace of the city. The National Historic Site's rich history dates back more than 225 years.
The Toronto area has been inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years the Mohawk people called this place tkaronto meaning where there are trees standing in the water. However in the aftermath of the American War of Independence tens of thousands of displaced British loyalists and allied Haudenosaunee peoples had to migrate north into what is now Canada. In September of 1787 the British signed the Toronto purchase with the local Mississauga of the Credit where they purportedly purchased the land. However the legality of this initial treaty was called into question and a new agreement was signed in 1805 now known as Treaty 13. By 1791 the new province of Upper Canada was created, now the province of Ontario. The province's first lieutenant governor John Grave Simcoe recognized the initial provincial capital of Newark, now Niagara on the Lake, was exposed and vulnerable to an American attack from just across the Niagara River. So in the summer of 1793 Simcoe arrived on this site and founded the new capital of York which would have its name changed to Toronto a mere 40 years later. By this time war seemed likely as the United States was rapidly expanding westward and the American army is waging wars against the indigenous nations along the frontier in the old northwest. Therefore when York was founded Simcoe and his men began constructing a military garrison and harbor defenses which became the first Fort York. York's harbor became a British naval base and the single harbor entrance on the western side could be defended from the guns at Fort York and Gibraltar point. The fort sat on high ground surrounded by water on all but one side however as the war scare passed. Simcoe's initial defenses fell into disrepair and his superiors concentrated military efforts on defending Kingston instead of York. The original log barrack Simcoe built rotted quickly after 1796 the army replaced them with new buildings just east the original garrison. At the same time the army built a home for the lieutenant governor called Government House on the Simcoe site now the fort's parade ground. In 1811 war with the United States again seemed likely the British therefore improved York's defenses. The existing west wall, dry moat, and circular battery still survived from that time. The United States declared war in June of 1812. That after America's defeats in the opening months of the war the United States needed a victory and so on April 27, 1813 the US Army and Navy attacked in what is now known as the Battle of York. The Americans stormed ashore a few kilometers west of the fort under the protection of their ship's guns. The outnumbered British, indigenous, and Canadian defenders fought bravely for six hours but the overwhelming fire from the American Army and warships forced them back to Fort York. Defeated the British abandoned the fort and blew up the gunpowder magazine. The explosion was devastating 250 Americans fell dead or wounded from its blast. The confusion stopped the Americans long enough for the British to escape capture and retreat east towards Kingston. The local Canadian militia unit surrendered to the Americans and the US forces occupied York for six days. They robbed homes took and destroyed supplies and burned the parliament buildings in government house. The Americans returned to a defenseless York in July of 1813 for two days to burn military buildings they had missed in April. A year later in retaliation British forces captured Washington and burned the capitol and White House. The British returned to reconstruct Fort York shortly after it was destroyed. The fort here today was constructed throughout the remainder of the war between late 1813 and 1815. Seven of the fort's buildings today still survived from this period. In 1814 American ships returned to York but this time the fort's guns chased them away. In February of 1815 the people of York heard the war of 1812 had ended. By this point there was enough barrack space constructed within Fort York to accommodate as many as 650 officers and soldiers. After the war the British maintained Fort York as a peacetime garrison. Greatly reduced the number of soldiers stationed here but the army also strengthened its defenses in times of danger such as the rebellion crisis of 1837 to 1841 and during the 1860s. When Canadians feared another American invasion during the American Civil War. Three years after Canadian Confederation in 1867 the British troops left Toronto and Canadian soldiers took over control of Fort York. The fort continued to serve as a harbor defense until the 1880s. By this point a new Fort Stanley barracks had been constructed to the west, within what is now the exhibition grounds. The Canadian Army still used the old fort well into the 20th century including for recruitment and training during the First World War.
Beginning in the 1880s people had realized that Fort York was an important landmark in the country's history therefore they worked to preserve it as a heritage site. Major restoration however did not occur until the 1930s. And in 1934 as part of Toronto's 100th birthday celebrations Fort York opened as a National Historic Site. Although Fort York has not changed much since the early 19th century the city that now surrounds it is completely different. In 1854 the railway arrived in Toronto, tracks were laid over the Garrison Creek valley behind the fort. Work also began to dredge the harbor and fill in the lake in front of the fort. Between the 1850s and the 1920s The shoreline moved south as Toronto expanded industrial port and recreational facilities. Sometimes Toronto's growth threatened the fort. On one occasion in 1958 plans were made to tear down and move the fort for the Gardner Expressway however conservative citizens won the battle to save Fort York from demolition. Today Fort York survives on the site where Simcoe founded Toronto in 1793 and where the British rebuilt York's defenses between 1813 and 1815. Fort York is the birthplace of modern Toronto, a battlefield from the War of 1812, a military burial ground, an archaeological resource, and is the home to the largest collection of original War of 1812 military buildings in Canada. The City of Toronto Museums preserves the fort as a public historic site and every year tens of thousands of visitors from around the world visit the site and enjoy the fort's wide array of public educational and commemorative programming. We hope you too will visit Fort York and explore its important place in Canadian history.
Description
The history of Fort York from when first built by John Graves Simcoe through modern day preservation.
Duration
7 minutes, 36 seconds
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