The
French originally settled upon a traditional
Mississaugas First Nation site called
Kateracoui (Cataraqui in the common transliteration
which uses French pronunciation rules,
it is pronounced CAT - AH - RAH - KWAY)
in 1673 and established Fort Frontenac.
The fort was captured and destroyed by
the British in the Battle of Fort Frontenac
near the end of the Seven Years' War in
1758. A receiving centre for fleeing refugees
from the American Revolution, it became
the primary community of south-eastern
Upper Canada. New settlement from the
United Empire Loyalists (UEL) and Mohawks
from the Six Nations in New York, led
by Molly Brant, formed a significant part
of an expanding population in the area
at the end of the 18th century.
During
the War of 1812, Kingston was the base
for the Lake Ontario division of the Great
Lakes British naval fleet and engaged
in a vigorous arms race with the American
fleet based at Sackett's Harbor, New York
for control of Lake Ontario. After the
war, Britain built Fort Henry and a series
of distinctive Martello towers to guard
the entrance to the Rideau Canal (the
fort is still standing and is a popular
tourist destination). Kingston was one
of the contenders for the capital of the
united Canadas before Confederation, but
after a brief stint as the capital from
1841 to 1844, it lost out to an alternating
location of Montreal and Toronto, and
then later to Ottawa where it has resided
since. Kingston was, however, the home
of Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir
John A. Macdonald and on June 13 1841
was the site of the first meeting of the
Parliament of Canada.
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