How Canada Did Not Become the 19th State: America’s Northern Borderlands (c. 1812): ENTANGLED HISTORIES II-1

Join us for the opening session of the Entangled Histories Seminar Series 2026–2027 with Joseph Adamczyk, exploring how political identity and environmental contexts shaped the U.S.–Canada border before and during the War of 1812.

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Abstract
This talk draws on an eight-session course on the borderlands before, during, and after the War of 1812. The presentation explores the establishment of a border with sparse European settlement following the American Revolution, the divergent political trajectories of populations on either side of that boundary prior to the War of 1812, and the reasons why apparent cultural similarities among borderland settlers failed to override their emerging political differences.

Please note: This presentation forms part of an educational project designed for informed non-specialists. A curated list of suggested further readings will be shared with interested attendees following the session.

About the Speaker
Joseph Adamczyk is a retired attorney and independent historian based in the Seattle, Washington area (USA). He earned a BA in History and Writing from the University of Pittsburgh (1977), a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law (1980), and a post-graduate Certificate in Teaching Social Studies from Pennsylvania State University (2003). Over the course of his legal career, he practiced across diverse fields, including U.S. government and international contracts, retiring in 2016 as counsel to a Pennsylvania tax appeals board. He currently teaches for the Lifetime Learning Center in Seattle, offering continuing education courses with a focus on the history of the Early American Republic.