Among the fourteen heroines of the Valiants Memorial, which commemorates leading figures from the military history of Canada, is a life-size bronze statue of Laura Secord. The artists Marlene Hilton Moore and John McEwen created all the five sculptures and the nine busts of the memorial, and Governor-General Michaëlle Jean dedicated it on November 5th, 2006.
Laura Secord (1775-1868) was an American-born loyalist who moved to Upper Canada following the American Revolution. On June 21st, 1813, in the amid of the War of 1812 (a territorial conflict between the US and the United Kingdom and its British North America allies), Secord heard of plans for a surprise American attack on the British troops at Beaver Dams, which if succeeded would have furthered the American control in the Niagara Peninsula. To pass on the information, she risked her own life and went on 17 hours and 20 miles walk from her home in Queenston to the British headquarters in Thorold Township. As a result of her bravery and determination, the British and their Mohawk allies defeated the Americans.
During her lifetime, Secord barely received recognition for her actions. She became famous by the late 1880s when feminist activists used her story to illustrate women’s fortitude. Since then, it has become a legend in Canada inspiring various books, poems, plays, and another statue of her.
Secord’s statue depicts her in the era’s clothing while walking the long way to deliver the intel and help win the war.
The second statue that honors a woman in the Valiants Memorial is the bust of Georgina Pope (1862-1938), a notable nurse and the first Matron of the Canadian Army Medical Corps.
Laura Secord - Decoding ART - Heritage Monuments
Transcript:
Narrator: "This capsule is presented by Canadian Heritage."
[Canadian Heritage signature]
[The bronze statue of Laura Secord]
Narrator: "Laura Secord is celebrated as a hero of the War of 1812 for her long trek to warn of a pending American attack.”
[Close-up of the head of the statue]
Narrator: "During her lifetime, Laura Secord experienced more than her fair share of war. She was born in Massachusetts during the height of the Revolutionary War and her father, Thomas Ingersoll, fought for the Americans against the British. After the war, Thomas moved the family to Upper Canada, settling land that would later become a town named after the family: Ingersoll, Ontario.
Laura married James Secord and settled in the Niagara region—a key centre of conflict during the War of 1812. In June of 1813, American forces controlled the region; James Secord had been wounded in battle and several American soldiers were billeting in the Secord family home. According to legend, Laura overheard the soldiers talking about a planned attack.”
[Illustration of Laura Secord hiking in the woods]
Narrator: "Recognizing that the attack could give the Americans greater control over the Niagara region, she hiked more than 30 kilometres to warn the British.”
[Illustration of Laura Secord warning the British soldiers about the attack]
Narrator: "Thanks to the advance warning, the attack never took place. Aboriginal warriors—allies of Britain—successfully ambushed the American forces.”
[Close-up of the statue]
Narrator: "This statue is one of 14 in the Valiants Memorial created by Marlene Hilton Moore.”
[View of the statue from the feet to the head]
Narrator: "The artist strived for historical realism, placing reproductions of period clothing and artifacts on cast figures, and then casting the assembled pieces in their entirety. Secord is posed gently raising her skirt, suggesting her trek through the bush.”
[Portrait of Marlene Hilton Moore]
Narrator: "Listen to the clip by the artist, Marlene Hilton Moore to find out more about the creation of this sculpture."
[Canada Wordmark]
This post is also available in:
Español
