This trail starts at the Niagara Historical Society Museum which houses one of Ontario's largest 1812 collections including the hat of Sir Isaac Brock. Early in 1812, forces were pushing those on both sides of the Niagara ever closer to war. In October, the initial shots echoed across the border. This trail traces that first bloody confrontation on the Niagara.

Following the American Revolution, Fort George and Navy Hall were built to guard the growing British colony of Upper Canada. Headquarters for the central division of the British army, Fort George with its 500 regular troops commanded the mouth of the Niagara River. Within the Fort lay Brock's Bastion another lookout point and cannon battery which was to become the resting place of Major General Sir Isaac Brock after the Battle of Queenston Heights.

In 1812, homesteaders, eager to create prosperous farms, had cleared a great swath of land between Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake) and Queenston. The farmland was punctuated by great manor homes like McFarland House and The Field House. McFarland House, built in 1800 by John McFarland and his sons was commandeered during the War by both the American and British armies as a hospital and officers headquarters. One of the few buildings to survive the burning of Newark in December 1813, it was restored by the Niagara Parks Commission in the 1950s and is now a museum and tea room.

In October 1812, the Village of Queenston was a flourishing settlement having developed in the late 1700s as a popular outpost along the portage route around the Falls. You can visit some of the buildings of that era as well as the Riverbrink Museum which houses Major James Dennis' famous painting of the Battle of Queenston Heights.

In 1812, nearly 300 British soldiers and local militia were stationed there. On October 13, guards first heard the unmistakable sounds of Americans rowing across the Niagara. The British had been expecting an American attack for weeks. Detachments were waiting. Although hundreds of men from the New York state militia had attempted to cross without notice, the cannon shot from the American shore soon alerted everyone. Within hours the Americans had firmly entrenched on the beachhead. 6,000 Americans were ready at Lewiston to cross and fight the British.

Immediately, word was sent to Brock that the invasion of Upper Canada had begun. Brock and his troops including Royal Artillery from the 41st and 49th regiments, members of the Coloured Corps (local volunteers of African descent), allied Mohawks under John Norton and local militia raced towards the Heights. The situation was perilous for whoever controlled Queenston would control the main transportation route along the Niagara River.

While Brock was pushing his men to Queenston, the Americans had begun to make alarming headway in their attack. Having discovered a small trail up the escarpment, they were able to outflank the British by climbing up the Heights and surrounding them from the top of the hillside. The British had secured their cannonade position at the Redan Battery, from which they fired constantly at the Americans crossing the river. When enemy troops suddenly rushed at them from the top of the Heights the British and their allies were taken completely unawares. Routed, they retreated down the hillside.

Unwilling to give up the Heights and lose the battle, Brock heroically led a valiant charge in an attempt to re-take the Redan Battery. An American sniper, knowing that Brock was the linchpin in the British counter attack, trained his eye, steadied his hand, and fired. A single shot was all that was needed to fell Brock. Today, a stone marker sits near that very spot. With the loss of their commander, the British forces retreated. The Americans continued to entrench their positions.

Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe now assumed command of the British position. Schooled in strategy and knowing that the Heights could not be taken directly, Sheaffe decided that his troops would maneuver far inland from the Niagara River to attempt to encircle the Americans from behind. By four o'clock in the afternoon an imposing line of British and their allies stretched across the battlefield. The native skirmishers let loose their war cries and raced forward. Following them, British regulars and colonial troops advanced their battle lines. Caught unaware, the Americans pulled back, inching further towards the cliffside. Trapped against the steep escarpment, the Americans had no choice but to surrender. Sheaffe's contingent had captured over 900 Americans. Suppressive fire from British cannons and cries from the natives dared the 5,000 remaining American troops at Lewiston to reinforce their comrades. They did not oblige.

The victory at Queenston had both an immediate and far-reaching impact. Those who were unsure of whether Upper Canada could be defended found renewed hope that the colony would withstand invasion. Anxious colonial citizens found renewed hope in the fortitude of their militias and awe in the sacrifices of others.

In the years following the war, monuments and memorials were laid as testament to this British victory. In 1824 a monument was erected to the memory of Brock's valor. Damaged by an act of terrorism in 1840, a new, grander monument was built in 1856. In this tranquil place, on October 13, 1812, canons sounded, men fought for their freedom, and the foundation of Canada's future was planted.