“it was only by a happy concurrence of circumstances, that we were enabled to bring this great question to its present position.”
John A. Macdonald, 1865
What this Quote means: I think this quote means that everything has happened for a reason. Without all of these events that have happened there wouldn’t be a Canada that includes all of our provinces that we have today.
My Opinion: I agree and disagree with John A. Macdonald because I think he is right that there would’ve been no Canada that we know today without these events. Maybe we would’ve been more like America and make more wars instead of talk about it. Maybe we wouldn’t had French as one of our official languages. The reason I dont totally agree with him is because he says it was a happy concurrence of circumstances and the events weren’t happy. The events killed people and made a lot of stress for others. The only thing that was happy is the out come of one big peaceful country.
He was liberal to a fault; and his many acts of kindness and transparent goodness of heart rendered him popular in the community, the sentiment of which he unceasingly combated. He was a native to Canada.
Interpretation:
A Native to Canada is trying to help a slave. The Native to Canada and the slave are becoming friends through acts of kindness.
How might this affect a character or a plot?
Along the path to Canada the slave character will run into a Canadian person and together they help each other out and become good friends. They work together and will eventually become inseparable.
Many British owned land and subdivided their lots so that each lot was not large enough to support a family. The effects of this were, you had to sleep with livestock, tried to grow potatoes wherever they could. If you don’t pay rent you get kicked out, first they gave them an eviction notice and if you won’t leave they will tear down the house. The police were the ones who forced the people out of their house. If the people still wouldn’t leave they either tore down the house of lit it on fire to make sure they had nothing to go back to They also kicked people out to re make for livestock.
Eventually the potatoes became rotten and started the potato famine. Because of their property being so small they couldn’t grow anything on it so they had find a job to make money and buy food because, they could no longer survive off of potatoes. Irish poor law act creates workhouses for the poor. Eventually the peents had to pay rent in grain.
Charles Darwin thought that natural selection drives evolution. He thought all Irish, British, and Africans looked a certain way to benefit themselves and when species breed beyond resources, more favorable variations survive. (Monogenist)
Herbert spencer believed that the survival of the fittest applied to society It exists if we remove charity race that is used to determine colonialism. The race was to used to justify exploitation of the lower class. (Polygenist)
To get to Canada they had to take a coffin ship. Many people in the coffin ship got sick and spread diseases. Going onto the ship there was a risk that you might die. On the coffin ship there were different levels for different class he Steerage was for the lower class and it wasn’t as nice compared to the upper class. Things were unsanitary and they had to put human waste in a bucket then throw it over board. Before going to Quebec they had to go to Grosse-ile to make sure you weren’t sick. A lot of people were sick so when they got there they died. Today there is a grave yard at the spot the Grosse-ile was located.
Many children whose parents died were adopted into French-Canadian families but their Irish names have lived on: Doyle, Murphy, Ryan, Johnson.
Religion was a struggles for the Irish. Quebec accepted the Irish Catholics into Quebec because they have the same religion. Outside of Quebec Irish Catholicism was frowned upon by the Protestant majority in other parts of Canada. And in Canada, citizenship was tied to the British Crown
was tied to the British Crown.
Find a quote/image that confirms any of the above
Source:
(author, title, year written/published, URL)
Source: The British Whig, 5 February 1847.
Title: The Canadian Press and the Great Irish Famine
Quote/Image:
That with the best-felt thanks to Almighty God for the mercies bestowed on us, the starving conditions of our fellow subjects on Ireland calls for our warmest sympathy and compassion; and that we endeavor with our humble tribute to alleviate their sufferings under the present calamity.
Interpretation:
People are feeling bad for the Irish and they want to help. Word got out about the potato famine and everyone is feeling bad.
How might this affect a character or a plot?
An Irish person is doing really bad on the farm and not making a lot of money. They are close to death and there last hope is the potatoes but when those too eventually die no hope is left. They hear about new beginning in Canada and start their journey to the new country.
In what ways were Aboriginal women vital to the fur trade? (Horizons – Chapter 4 – page 134)?
Women gathered the items, made food, medicine, clothing, and shelter. The men would trap the beavers and the women would clean it and turn it into a pelt. Men wanted to marry the women because they knew the land and they acted as a guide and it helped to make stronger ties to trade with the Europeans. The men that married the women were often polygamous and had a different wife for different places.
“In native cultures women usually set up camp, dressed furs, made leather, made cooked meals, gathered firewood, made moccasins, netted snowshoes, and many other things that were essential to daily life for both natives and fur traders, yet were unfamiliar tasks for Europeans.”
Interpretation:
The Women were a very essential part to the fur trade without them the men would have many other jobs than hunting and they would be as efficient if the work wasn’t slit up.
I mentioned in class the first time we filmed we didn’t press record and then we ran out of time to finish.
Questions and Answers
Q. How was this war part of creating Canadian and American identity today?
Hailey: If Britain won more wars there was a chance we could’ve been closer with them than with America. Some parts of Canada could’ve belonged to the British and it would be weird having a whole bunch of the same countries spread out all over Canada.
Jason: One way both countries were able to develop are, Canada and America are close and even today we are peaceful with each other and we treat them like our neighbours.
John Carlo: If there was no war, there would’ve been no history so in a way all countries have benefited from the war. Especially Canada because it is a free country. If theses wars didn’t happen then French also wouldn’t have been one of the official languages.
Q. Which parts of this war have the greatest impact on Canada today?
Hailey: When Isaac Broc got shot above the heart his side became unsure of what to do. On Isaac’s side was the British and the Aboriginals. The battle took place in Ontario so they were fighting over land in Canada if the British would’ve won this war they could have taken over this part of Canada.
Jason: This made the french become friendlier with the Canadians. This was a positive for Canada because it could help them in the future in case they have to make an alliance with them and go into battle with another country. They can go into battle knowing they will have more troops and more allies.
John Carlo: If Laura Secord hadn’t of ran 30 km to spread the news she over heard they Americans discussing as they were staying at her house, things could’ve been very different. Its also a good thing the British leader chose to believe her and its very lucky that the Aboriginals found her along they way so they could take her back to their leader.
Q. Who won the War of 1812? Discuss all three perspectives.
Hailey: Aboriginals defiantly didn’t twin the war of 1812. An example of that is when the British didn’t give them any of the land they had promised the Aboriginals. Canada won the war because they had the most benefits, some of their benefits are when they increased the price of the prices of food, and when they successfully defended against the USA.
Jason: Canada won the war because it created more friendships between the countries and stronger allies. Some benefits for Canada are when Nova scotia sold captured US boats to britain and when New Brunswick sold food and Supplies.
John Carlo: America had less wins then Canada some examples of Canadas wins are when Lower Canada benefited from trade and transportation. Americas benefits were they we’re able to develop peace for 100 years. Overall Canada had more wins than the Americans or the Aboriginals and it has affected how it is today (free country).
Q .Was the War of 1812 a pointless war?
Hailey: There were other ways to solve this war but if the war was sold in another way other than war it would’ve made the future different and Canada might’ve have been less close to the USA and they could’ve had a stronger alliance with the Aboriginals.
Jason: The war was pointless. But it was a good thing we had it because it affected the future and with out it Napoleon wouldn’t have been as well known and Americas history is a big part of their country and showcasing their history is something they are well known for.
John Carlo: Was a pointless war and there could’ve been other ways they can use to solve the war. If they had a peace treaty things would’ve been less complicated and less people would get killed. If we didn’t have the war Canada wouldn’t of had the same amount of land and the country could’ve been different (speak french).