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ED: You know, in a war with so many actors, it’s not surprising that almost everyone involved has a different opinion about it.

BRIAN MERRETT: The standard line is the Canadians figured they kicked butt. The Americans figured it was a tie. And the British didn’t give a darn.

BRIAN: This is Brian Merrett, CEO of the 1812 Legacy Council. The Legacy Council is a bi-national organization that helps celebrate the War of 1812 in both Canada and the United States.

PETER: Brian was born in Canada. He now lives in the US but works across the border in Niagara, Ontario. We asked him about the different ways Americans and Canadians remember the War of 1812. Brian, which one of these story lines means the most to you? Do you feel like your butt’s been kicked or that you’re doing the kicking?

BRIAN MERRETT: Well, you know, I’m a Canadian and my wife is American.

PETER: Oh, marital strife.

ED: That settles that then, right?

BRIAN MERRETT: And she’s retired US Air Force. So she does have a military background. So there are some topics we sort of don’t discuss over breakfast, you know?

But I think when I look at this outcome of this conflict, it’s really when Canada became a country. I mean, the paperwork was done in 1867. But, really, Canada, you know, English and French Canada pulled together and defended its borders and pushed back an aggressor. From the American point of view it was really the first test of America as a country after the revolution.

BRIAN: Could you take us through your earliest memories of the War of 1812, how you learned about it? And has that changed at all?

BRIAN MERRETT: Yeah, I think because of the bicentennial there’s been a dramatic change. I grew up in the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Literally, the playground– we used to go and play catch and things– and it was right next to the Battle of Lundy’s Lane site.

It was not unusual for someone to be digging in the garden and find a musket ball. So we really grew up with it right beside us and, you know, studying it in history and in school projects on a fairly regular basis. On the US side, from when I talked to my wife about what they learned in school, it was, well, you know, the American Revolution or the Civil War.

BRIAN: Yep. Skipped right over it.

ED: Do you speak any differently about this when you’re speaking to audiences and different sides of the border? I mean, you have the charming Canadian accent. Do you turn that on or off if you’re speaking to–

BRIAN MERRETT: The emphasis is obviously different. Like, for example, I attended an event just outside of Buffalo yesterday in Cheektowaga, where it’s a commemoration of the War of 1812 cemetery. And it had the voice codes and the VFW and the fire trucks and lots of flags and lots of music.

Ours is a bit more, probably, formal. We still have the Royal Canadian Legion. But they’re not near as predominant perhaps as VFWs are. And there’s a different portrayal of patriotism in the United States compared to Canada, not to say that Canadians aren’t patriotic. But I think in America they’re more demonstrative about it.

BRIAN: Brian Merrett is CEO of the 1812 Legacy Council based in Niagara, Canada.

ED: We’re going to take a short break. When we come back, we’re going to talk about America’s first secession crisis. And I’ll bet you’ll be surprised by the states that were involved.

PETER: You’re listening to BackStory. See you in a minute.