A very popular topic of debate among historians is the anti-confederates in Nova Scotia’s and their relationship with the American Revolution. The debate condenses down into a single basic question; why did Nova Scotia join confederation instead of joining the American Revolution? In the 1860’s Nova Scotia had two choices, they could either join Canada with confederation or become part of the thirteen colonies, now the United States. To answer that questions historians need to look at what this situation was in North America at the time. It is important to take into perspective the loyalist view of anti-confederates and their opinion against confederation and support the American Revolution. There are many reasons that have to be carefully examined to understand why they did not join. Firstly, did the geographical location and surrounding colonies/ provinces have an effect on Nova Scotia’s decisions? What was the economic situation in their colony, and how did that attribute to which country they joined? Also, how did the terms of confederacy push and pull the colony’s want to join? Lastly, what role the loyalists played in this decision. When we research these questions we find that these three reasons were the cause of Nova Scotia joining confederation opposed to the American Revolution. One of the major deciding factors was location of Nova Scotia. Despite the fact that Nova Scotia showed great support to revolt, the factor of geographical location diminished their ability to get troops into the settlement. For the troops that would get there it would be very dangerous, because they were surrounded by water. This meant that ships could easily gain access to the province, and defending it would take a lot of troops to cov... ... middle of paper ... ... The loyalty that we had to the British crown has in some senses faded, and become more of a celebrity fad that people follow for entertainment. Works Cited Emily P.Weaver. “Nova Scotia and New England During the Revolution.” The American Historical Review Vol. 10, No. 1 (Oct., 1904), pp. 52-71. Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Historical Association. McKay, Ian G. "The Canadian Passive Revolution, 1840-1950." Capital & Class 34, no. 3 (10, 2010): 361-381, Queen’s University, Ontario, Canada. Reid, John G. "Pax Britannica or Pax Indigena? Planter Nova Scotia (1760--1782) and Competing Strategies of Pacification." Canadian Historical Review 85, no. 4 (December 2004): 669-692. America: History and Life with Full Text. Wallace, W. “The Growth of Canadian National Feeling.” The Canadian Historical Review Vol. 1, No. 1 (March, 1920), pp 136-165.
Chong, M. R. (2002). Canadian History Since WWI. Retrieved May 19, 2014, from Markville: http://www.markville.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/history/history/fivecent.html
"We must cherish our inheritance. We must preserve our nationality for the youth of our future. The story should be written down to pass on." (Louis Riel, 1884). Louis Riel, a man of great nature and abiding love for his western Métis heritage, is proven to be one of the most revolutionary men looked upon in the chronicles of the Dominion of Canada. In spite of this, he remains as one of the most controversial and cryptic figures throughout the course of Canadian history, leading to the question, is he recognized as the Father of Confederation or a treasonous rebel? A period of revolution lasting from the 1870’s to the late 1880’s was condemned with constant revolts justified as an intervening year for those involved; initiated by Riel. Although his actions may have struck him as a villain, Riel’s actions benefitted Canada greatly. Louis Riel is regarded as a hero by preserving the civil liberties and identities of the Métis and leading two memorable resistance movements against the Canadian government, in which to sustain their heritage. Louis Riel is claimed to be a valiant but flawed conqueror. However, despite all these flaws, he is known to be one of Canada’s national heroes, as he left a substantial impact on Canadian history as a dominant individual within civilization.
To start off, I’ll be writing about the life of people in British North America and its significance towards unifying Canada, as well as background knowledge of conflicts that existed. Life in British North America was changing at an alarming rate. New technology and services were being introduced such as railways and steamships. Industries such as building, producing and farming were being introduced. This was in part due to the many immigrants from Britain and France who’d settled. This was dreadful for the First Nations as their land had been taken away even more so than before. More resources were needed for the growing crowd so trade agreements were made. As more people came, the First Nations were even more distanced from the Europeans. Meanwhile, the French and the British wanted the other’s culture to be erased from the
Canada experienced the revolution of changing politics and new ideologies, it was a necessary wave
Meney, Florence. "La Peiné de Mort au Canada" ["Moving Towards Abolition"]. Radio Canada. N.p., 2007. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. .
Two history texts by Bumstead and Silver will be considered. The manner in which they organize Canadian history into logical and comprehensive periods will be taken into account. Each text establishes a chronological framework and within this, creates historical periods. Each period is intended to represent as logically as possible, the major cultural inclinations, political and social events, and thematic trends occurring within that period. Bumstead and Silver outline several broad periods, then delve into each period with a precise focus. Silver has a social focus within each period, and Bumstead has a thematic focus.
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
Newman, Garfield et al. Canada A Nation Unfolding. Toronto: Mc Graw – Hill Ryerson Limited, 2000.
First of all, the American Civil War increased American – British tensions due to Britain's lack of complete neutrality. Britain also sided with the South which greatly angered the United States. However, the main concern was the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. It was a belief that the United States was destined, by God, to control all of the continent. The outbreak of the American Civil War strengthened the sense of this concept. America wanted to now turn its attention to British North America. Although it never occurred, Manifest Destiny was always on the minds of many people living in British North America and put them in fear. Another American problem that threatened British North America was the Fenian raids. A group of Irishmen formed a brotherhood, called the Fenians, in the United States to promote the liberation of Ireland from British control. The Fenians believed that if they could capture some British North American colonies, they could hold them ransom in return for Ireland's freedom. The Fenian raids helped promote a desire for a union among the British North American colonies. They began to believe they needed a united defence, which they could receive by joining together as a united nation. Confederation most definitely protected Canada from the United States. If the colonies were not joined, there was still the possibility present
Colonists from France came to Canada and settled in Acadia also known as present day east coast colonies during the seventeenth century. The name given to the French colonists from the time of arrival to Canada was the “Acadians”. The Acadians from France continued their formal lifestyle by farming, fishing and maintaining a close family oriented culture in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The Acadians had created a prosperous agriculture economy up until the late eighteenth century, when there was a colonial struggle in power between the French and the British. British had conquered Port Royal and the Acadians refused to recognize British rule, wanting to keep their religious freedom and not wanting to be obliged to bears arms in the event of war. In this essay I will show that the impact from the England colonial rules led the Acadians to be deported and there they made a decision to settle in the Southern United states. This research essay will discuss why the they settles in the Maritime Provinces, what conflicts arise for in order for the British to exile them and why they chose the Southern United States to settle during the seventeenth and eighteenth century.
The rebellions of Upper and Lower Canada were in the interests of self-government but were doomed to failure from their beginning. Each of these two colonies encountered a great deal of problems right from the institution of the Constitution Act of 1791 and the problems continually got worse until the only choice to some seem to be rebellion. There were several problems that lead to the rebellions of 1837-38. In Lower Canada there was the agricultural crisis that caused a large number of starvations, to the French and English political and social problems within the colony. There were several different reasons that caused the rebellion in Upper Canada but these caused were mainly rooted in the idea of Anti- Americanism that was held within the Family Compact. Both rebellions had valid causes and noble intentions but they lacked the most necessary part for a rebellion to succeed in its intentions, the support of the people. Without support these two rebellions could never succeed.
In the year of 1867 the nation we know as Canada came into being. The Confederation in this year only came about after things had been overcome. Many political and economic pressures were exerted on the colonies and a federal union of the colonies seemed to be the most practical method of dealing with these pressures and conflicts. While Confederation was a solution to many of the problems, it was not a popular one for all the colonies involved. In the Maritime colonies views differed widely on the topic. Some were doubtful, some were pleased, others were annoyed and many were hopeful for a prosperous future.1
The War of 1812 was a war between Britain and the United States fought primarily in Upper Canada. It had many causes, few which involved British North America. The results of the war include the fact that there was no clear winner or loser among them. The only real losers in the situation were the Natives in the region. They were driven out of their lands and customs. None of the borders was changed by the war, though many attempts were made. The Treaty of Ghent, which ended the war, did nothing to advance the state of the countries. It went so far as to end the war and put things back the way that they were, but the main causes of the conflict were not addressed or dealt with. In order to evaluate the significance of this war, Canadian victories and losses, as well as overall results, must be analyzed.
The beginning of 1763 marked one of the major events that would contribute to the end of British colonial relations. On February 3, 1763 the French and Indian War finally ended in British victory, but while the British celebrated the French’s defeat, colonists feared the oncoming reverberations the war would have on them. The main motive behind the war was for possession over the French fur trade territory in North America. To the colonists, the war was being fought by and for Britain not the colonies. The benefits of the victory only pertained to Britain. The after effect of the war for the colonies was the trampling on their need for expansion. During the war, Native Americans had fought with the French because of how well they treated them. Britain was notorious for abusing the Native Americans, therefore once the French were defeated; they began attacking western settlements of colonists. To avoid confrontation, the Proclamation of 1763 was passed by Parliament. The Proclamation established a limit to the greatly needed colonial expansion. Specifically, the Proclamation forbid settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The passing of the Proclamation of 1763 infuriated colonists ...
Thompson, John Herd, and Mark Paul Richard. "Canadian History in North American Context." In Canadian studies in the new millennium. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008. 37-64.