The “Patriot War” in Niagara County: Firebrands, Rebels, and the Burning of the Caroline
The quiet landscapes of Niagara County conceal a long-forgotten chapter of revolution. It was the 1830s, and while the United States celebrated its young republic, its northern neighbor was caught in the iron grip of British colonialism. That grip sparked rebellion—and nowhere was the flame hotter than along the Niagara River.
The Patriot War wasn’t a conventional war. It was a grassroots uprising, a murky blend of Canadian rebels, American sympathizers, and freelance fighters known as “Patriots,” who operated in the shadowlands between revolution and insurrection. These volunteers sought to overthrow British rule in Upper Canada (now Ontario), using the U.S. border as a launching point.
Western New York—especially Niagara County—became a hotbed of covert activity, makeshift militias, and political intrigue. These rebels, some inspired by democratic ideals and others by personal grievances, found allies among American citizens disillusioned with monarchy and eager to export revolution northward.
At the center of it all stood William Lyon Mackenzie, the notorious Scottish-born agitator and former mayor of Toronto. In Niagara Rebels, Mackenzie is portrayed as a “firebrand” not just for his rhetoric, but for his restless energy, relentless organizing, and refusal to let the dream of Canadian liberty die—even after his initial rebellion in Toronto failed in 1837.
Mackenzie fled to the U.S., but he didn’t rest. From safe havens like Buffalo and Grand Island, he plotted. His vision was clear: ignite a second front in Niagara. He and his followers established a provisional government and fortified Navy Island, just above Niagara Falls, declaring it the seat of a new, free Canada. Supplies and reinforcements came from the American side via a small steamboat named Caroline.
That steamboat became a symbol—and a target.
On a frigid December night in 1837, British-Canadian loyalists crossed the river under cover of darkness. In a daring raid near Schlosser, they seized the Caroline, set her ablaze, and sent her plunging over Niagara Falls. One American was killed, and the incident provoked outrage across the United States. It nearly sparked a war between the U.S. and Britain.
President Martin Van Buren, wary of escalation, distanced himself from the Patriot cause. But locals in Niagara County weren’t so restrained. According to Niagara Rebels, many residents provided food, weapons, and even manpower to Mackenzie’s cause, despite federal warnings. Small towns like Lewiston, Lockport, and Buffalo teemed with underground meetings, smuggled muskets, and the whispered hope of a new republic on the other side of the river.
The Patriot War ultimately failed. The British crushed the insurgents, arrested many Americans, and tightened their grip on the border. Mackenzie was jailed by the Americans for violating neutrality laws. But the dream he stirred didn’t fully die. It became part of a long legacy of transnational resistance and borderland activism that still echoes today in Niagara’s local lore.
The Patriot War wasn’t just a Canadian rebellion—it was a Niagara story. And as Niagara Rebels so vividly reminds us, it’s a story of firebrands and freedom, of boats burning in the night, and of a river that once ran hot with revolution.