St. Joseph Island is but a blip on the moving screen of geological history. The fort on this island is an even smaller blip in Canadian history. However, unknown to many, Fort St. Joseph played a pivotal role in the War of 1812. It was the British victory at Fort St. Joseph that led directly to the monumental victories on Mackinac Island in 1812 and in 1814, assuring British control over the Upper Great Lakes.