The Fort Hill Cannons, situated at 4 New Street in St. George, are a pair of 19th-century cannon barrels that stand alongside a war monument in front of the Royal Canadian Legion Hall. They are designated as a Local Historic Place due to their intended roles in both the War of 1812 and the Fenian Raid of 1866.
The War of 1812, which took place between the United States and Great Britain, lasted from June 1812 until the spring of 1815. The primary land conflicts occurred along the Canadian border, in the Chesapeake Bay region, and along the Gulf of Mexico.
By 1866, the Fenians had divided into two factions. The original faction, led by Fenian founder John O’Mahony, focused primarily on raising funds for Irish rebels. After a failed attempt to raid New Brunswick in April, the Senate faction of Fenians devised their own invasion plan, targeting Canada West (now southern Ontario) from Buffalo, New York.
Although the Fort Hill Cannons were erected in response to the very real threat of action during the War of 1812 and the Fenian Raid of 1866, neither saw action as these threats never reached St. George.
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