MARQUETTE, Mich.—A traveling exhibition on the War of 1812, produced by the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, will be on display at the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University. Titled “1812,” it explores the war through the perspectives of the four central participants: Canadians (including Canadian First Peoples), Americans, the British and Native Americans.

            An opening reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, in 105 Cohodas Hall at NMU. It will include comments from Dennis Moore, public affairs officer for the General Consulate-Detroit, and NMU history professor Russell Magnaghi. Admission is free.

            The “1812” exhibit conveys the motivations and aspirations of the four participants, their experiences of the war and its effect on their future. The description reads, “For Canadians, it was a successful fight for survival against American invasions. For Americans, it was a successful defense against the British Empire, one that forced Britain to respect American sovereignty and power. For the British, the conflict was a successful but almost irrelevant sideshow, scarcely remembered today, set against the far greater generation-long war against Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. For Native Americans, the war was a desperate fight for freedom and independence as they struggled to defend their homelands, and its conclusion was a catastrophic defeat.”

            The Beaumier Center will host the exhibit through March 1. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday.