Canada’s Journey to Independence: The birth of a great nation

Canada, a nation renowned for its delectable maple syrup and the home of some notable hockey players, is the second-largest nation in the world by total area, boasting approximately two million lakes. It is widely acknowledged that over fifty percent of these lakes are classified as fresh water.

For a period of several thousand years, the region served as the home of the indigenous tribes of the first nation peoples, who were expert at overcoming the severe and prolonged winters. With this information, they were able to thrive in tough places and create their own cultures.

There are those who believe that the Vikings were the first non-native individuals to migrate and establish themselves in Canada and the new world in general. Those assumptions, nonetheless, remain the subject of debate.

The Vikings, according to historians, settled in the Canadian territory of Newfoundland around the year 1000 BCE. It is uncertain for how long the Vikings resided there, however, it is believed that the area of Newfoundland was either inhabited by first nations before the Vikings’ arrival or they migrated to the area and established themselves.

How Europeans came into Canada

In 1497, about 500 years later, John Cabot, an Italian navigator and explorer, travelled to the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII, King of England. He was the first European to venture out to the shores of North America.

The Spanish and Portuguese followed suit a few years later. However, part of the area was not inhabited for many years. Only a few Portuguese and Basque fishing villages were built there until the French arrived.

In 1584, Jacques Cartier, a maritime explorer of French-Breton descent, explored the shores of North America and later claimed the Canadian territory on behalf of King Francis I of France.

In 1535, before Jacques Cartier’s claim of Canada for France, it was revealed that during his exploration of the territory, he encountered two young Aboriginal individuals who provided him with directions to specific locations. During their conversation, it was alleged that they used the term “Kanata” to denote the environs of their territory.

Some people believe that they were referring to Stadacona, not far from where Quebec City was founded. Because he had no knowledge of the native people’s dialect, he started to call the area around the river “Canada,” which comes from the Huron-Iroquois word “kanata,” which means “village” or “settlement.” 

Jacques Cartier later chose to name the gulf river “Canada” in honor of Saint Lawrence’s day. Saint Lawrence was one of the most popular Roman martyrs because of his Christian courage. He was one of seven deacons tasked with aiding the less fortunate and in need.

Cartier’s voyages were the catalyst for France’s assertions towards Canada.

After so many unsuccessful attempts to establish permanent settlement, some French colonists who arrived in Canada encountered difficulties due to the harsh winters and muddy terrain. Due to the adverse weather conditions, they developed hunger and sickness.

In 1670, the English colonies in the south became more diverse, so they started building new towns in Newfoundland and on the southern shores of Hudson Bay.

The rivalry between the French and English in Canada

The establishment of the cities of Quebec and the port royals was a massive success. The business of selling fur, particularly beaver fur, became very profitable in Canada. Many entrepreneurs ventured into it to generate profits because people in Northern Europe used it to produce elaborate hats and winter attire.

Due to these factors, so many English and French fur traders from all over Europe arrived in the northern part of the country, generating substantial profits from the industry, which later gained considerable popularity.

During the period commonly referred to as the Beaver Wars, the French, and English did not coexist peacefully in Canada, with the French temporarily acquiring a significant portion of the territory situated around Hudson Bay.  

Trading in bear pelts not only helped Europeans become rich and influential, but also helped the Iroquoian confederation, which was made up of six powerful tribes, become stronger.   

The Iroquoian people were the most powerful Native American group in North America in the 17th century. They worked together with Dutch traders to trade fur and other useful materials. They gave them animal skins in exchange for iron tools and guns.   

As time passed, Dutch merchants began to acquire a greater profit share of the trade.

Because Britain and France were rivals in North America, their territorial disputes caused violence along the borders of their colonies. Both sides joined forces with Native Americans, which resulted in the war known as the “French and Indian War” in North America. 

The other name for this war was the “Seven Years’ War,” because it was a global conflict that spanned five continents, but had roots in colonial North America.

Back home, the first nation tribes faced internal issues, as they were divided between themselves. Other indigenous tribes began to encounter difficulties with the Iroquois tribe due to their belief that they were solely benefiting from the natural resources that were supposed to be available to all. 

The Iroquois Confederation was accused of monopolizing the fur industry, thereby stifling the progress of rival Indian tribes. In addition, they were accused of terrorizing French settlements.

Other indigenous tribes in the territory became dissatisfied with the Iroquois tribe and opted to collaborate with the French to impede the expansion of Iroquois commerce. 

The outcome resulted in a series of clashes in the region, wherein certain tribes of the first nation sided with the French, whereas the Iroquois tribe sided with the British.

The English launched an aggressive assault on the French and these other indigenous groups in the region in an attempt to take over the area’s territorial authority.

After fighting for 72 years and many native Indians dying, peace was made in the area.

A few alterations to the territory led to the division of New France into five colonies, each with its own administrative structure. Canada and Louisiana were the two largest colonies, along with British Acadia, Newfoundland, and Hudson Bay, which the British Empire acquired from the French in the Treaties of Utrecht in 1713.   

Moreover, in the Utrecht treaty, France also acknowledged the British sovereignty over their claims of Hudson Bay companies in the territory of Rupert. The Hudson Bay Company is still in business today, and they own a store chain throughout Canada.   

Read more: The reasons why Canada can’t reach its full potential despite its wealth

The next major clash between the two nations saw the French outnumbered by the rapidly expanding British colonies by a ratio of 10:1 despite their larger territory. 

The French and Indian War, which lasted seven years, saw French-speaking Acadians being driven from the Canadian frontier. Today, some descendants of these people are known as Cajun people in Louisiana and New Orleans.   

The British and French empires sent numerous regular infantry units to North America during the conflict, supported by nearby militias and indigenous groups. The French, who were outnumbered by a significant margin, relied on their Indian allies and launched a spirited battle against the British. In the end, the British prevailed and took Quebec and Montreal.

In the Treaty of Paris in 1763, which ended the war soon after, France chose to leave Canada. This happened because France spent more money than it got back. 

Following this occurrence, France granted Louisiana territory to Spain, and Canada to Britain. Until this very day, France has made no further attempts to reclaim the territories.

After the end of the war, a significant portion of the land located outside the coast of the continent was abandoned, and so many indigenous people were succumbing to ailments and starvation.

The prospect of a nation independent of the British Empire was beginning to resonate following the conflict in North America.

These historical events ultimately resulted in the establishment of an independent Canada and America.

Canada’s journey to independence

A little over a decade later, in 1775, at the onset of the American Revolution, rebel forces invaded Canada, occupying Montreal and launching an assault on the town of Quebec. This was done to get the British Empire to think about giving North America an independent status.

The Atlantic was filled with American ships, and people in Nova Scotia were ready to start a rebellion against the British. They were looking for French-Canadians to support the Patriot cause.

But the effort was ultimately unsuccessful, as Quebec remained staunchly committed to Great Britain. The limited troop strength, illness, and chaos on the Patriot side all contributed to the British victory on December 31, 1775. The idea of an independent North America was put off for a while, but it wasn’t entirely ruled out.

After the American rebellion failed, many British loyalists moved north to Canada. 

Both British and American armies attempted to invade each other’s territories after the war of 1812, but ended up in military stalemates.

In 1814, both sides began working on a solution and agreed to discuss making peace. A meeting that was held in Belgium between American representatives and British commissioners resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. 

The agreements that were reached at that conference after the conflict established a more formal border between the two nations.

Although Canadians at that time preferred not to join their American counterparts in the south, individuals in the lower and middle classes of Canada began to desire their independence.

This was the motivation for the movement tasked with evicting the British Empire from Canada. The man who spearheaded this movement was William Lyon Mackenzie, a Scots-born immigrant.

Mackenzie didn’t like the government at the time, so he started his newspaper called “The Colonial Advocate” in 1824. It was his way of speaking out against what he believed was a corrupt British Upper Canadian government.

Despite Mackenzie’s high level of education, he lacked the ability to strategize and did not have the necessary experience to lead a rebellion.

This eventually led to a rebellion that was chaotic and unorganized. The event became known as the “Farmer’s Revolt” because it ended quickly and most of the people who took part were farmers, mostly from the United States, and didn’t have any military experience.

Over 500 rebels were forced to leave Montgomery’s Tavern, where they were confronted by a line of loyalists and militia. Mackenzie, along with many others, fled to the United States quickly after the rebellion dispersed.

Even though Mackenzie’s idea of a Canadian republic that was independent and free from corruption didn’t last long and was not very successful, many Canadians liked it and supported it.

It turned out that not only did Canadians support the idea of a new Canada, but also people from the southern regions who speak French and English wanted to fight for its cause.

After the rebellion ended, the British government realized that Canadians truly wanted their country and decided to make significant changes. They opted to adopt a fresh constitution, dubbed the Act of Union.

The British Parliament approved the Act of Union in July 1840. With the Act of Union, Upper and Lower Canada became one province of Canada. It created the Province of Canada by bringing together the colonies of Canada West (formerly Upper Canada) and Canada East (formerly Lower Canada) into one government. 

This constitution resulted in the establishment of a transparent government shortly thereafter, which granted their designated representatives a significant amount of autonomy.

As rumours started to spread that Canada would become independent of Britain in the late 1800s, immigrants from all over the world started to move to Canada because the log industry was so successful. Over time, this industry became Canada’s most profitable industry, replacing the once lucrative fur trade.

In 1867, the British North America Act, also called the Constitution Act, was passed. It made Canada a democratic republic with Ottawa as its capital.

In a similar vein, in the west, the renowned Hudson’s Bay company successfully negotiated the transfer of Rupert’s land to the newly established Canadian government. 

The Plight of the Métis People

The Métis, a people with a mix of European, French, and Indian descent, dominated the population in the Winnipeg region of what is now Manitoba. 

The Métis have consistently viewed themselves as an autonomous group, possessing their objectives and inherent entitlements as both indigenous people and settlers.

After Manitoba became a province, the Métis people were left without recognition, belonging, or the land they had before. 

Because they thought that new people from the East would take over the land they had been growing for generations, they started a rebellion, which led to the establishment of a temporary government. 

After a prolonged struggle and eventual capture by federal troops, they were able to secure the fulfilment of their requirements. 

The Manitoba Act was enacted by the Canadian government to establish the province. The law granted children from Métis families access to 1.4 million acres of land.

Louis Riel, the political leader of the Métis people during the year of the rebellion, would lead another larger but less successful rebellion fifteen years later that ended with his trial and execution. 

The Red River Resistance was the moniker given to the rebellion resistance group led by Louis Riel, whose primary goal was to prevent land surveyors from gaining entry and taking over their properties.

The Métis community, both francophone and anglophone, showed their support for Riel. 

He comprehended that his group was required to confront the less assertive and less coordinated English speakers to address their concerns. This uprising resulted in the establishment of the province of Manitoba and Louis Riel’s ascension as the inaugural Métis leader. 

The interim government Riel established eventually endorsed the conditions under which Manitoba joined the Canadian confederation.

Today, Louis Riel is widely regarded as either a hero or a villain by a significant number of Canadians, depending on their political leanings.

Canada after its independence

During the Klondike Gold Rush of the 1890s, over 100,000 prospectors set out to the remote Yukon region in hopes of striking it rich. Some people made significant profits from it, while others did not. 

In the early 20th century, Canada’s population grew quickly because of a good economy and high foreign immigration, which was mostly caused by people moving to the United States.

During the first world war, Canada, which was still under the control of the United Kingdom, dispatched a total of 650,000 troops to fight in Europe. The conflict resulted in the deaths of 67,000 individuals and the injuries of 77,000 others. 

Canada was shocked and saddened by the high casualty rate. Despite the bleak outlook, the onset of the first world war instilled in Canadians a sense of pride in their nation and a desire to exert control over their own international affairs. This was accomplished when the British parliament approved the Statute of Westminster in 1931.

The Statute of Westminster is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that sets the rules for how the Commonwealth realms and the Crown deal with each other. 

The statute, which was passed on December 11, 1931, increased the sovereignty of the self-governing Dominions of the British Empire from the United Kingdom. Under this statute, Canada was recognized as having equal status with the United Kingdom.

Canada was particularly affected by the Great Depression of the 1930s, with the unemployment rate reaching 25% and a significant number of men living in unemployment relief camps. 

Over 1.1 million Canadians participated in the Second World War, a ferocious conflict that resulted in the deaths or injuries of nearly one hundred thousand Canadian soldiers.

 In 1949, Newfoundland was the last province in Canada to be incorporated.   

In 1965, Canada adopted its current flag, which was one of several other flags that were proposed at the time. 

Twenty years later, the situation improved further, as Canada was granted the authority to establish its constitution in 1982 by the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which was subsequently ratified by the Queen. 

This constitution continues to recognize the British monarchy as a mostly ceremonial rule. Nonetheless, it also eliminates the British parliaments, which still possess some influence over Canada.   

Conclusion

The transformation of Canada from a simple colony inhabited by the British and French into a country with world-class capabilities cannot be overstated. 

Canada has made a lot of progress in becoming a global power because of its strong and sustainable economy. This has attracted many people from other countries who want to live in a way that helps the environment and gives everyone more chances.   

Today, there are over 38 million people in Canada, and over 20% of them speak French as their first language. Canada is also acknowledged as the ninth-largest economy globally. 

Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia, Dictionary of Canada Biography, Britannica, Canada History, Historynet

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