What does the name "Laura Secord" mean to you?

When you think of Laura Secord, you might think of a pretty girl making chocolates. You might think of a woman selling candy in a shop.

But would you think of a war? Would you think of guns and soldiers and dead men? Would you think of a woman putting her life on the line to help win an important battle?

This is what Laura Secord did. She did much more than give her name to boxes of candy. She helped Canada win the War of 1812.

Canada and the United States went to war with each other in 1812. By 1813, the American troops had taken over part of Canada. They had taken over some land on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, close to Niagara Falls.

Laura Secord was one of the Canadians who lived on this land. She and her husband had a shop in Queenston, a little town near Niagara Falls. They did not like to see the American troops overrun their town.

The Secords were like prisoners in Queenston. They were like prisoners in the town they had lived in for years.