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Round The Empire, Installment 3
Your narrator has reached the vast dominion of Canadia, and is contemplating upon Quebec.
The battle on the Plains of Abraham, in which General Wolfe fell, was one of the turning-points in the world's history. Canada, hitherto colonised and governed by France, now became a part of the British Empire. The French people of the Province of Quebec became British subjects, and what had before been doubtful was now settled, namely, that people of British stock, rather than French, should control the greater part of the North American Continent. We can now understand what people are thinking of when they speak of Quebec as a very famous city.
We have seen how Canada was taken from France. Let me now say something about how it has been kept for England. Not many years after Wolfe's great victory at Quebec, the war of the American Revolution broke out. The English colonies south of Canada revolted from the Mother Country, and established an independent Government of their own under the name of the United States. Wishing to conquer Canada, they made an attack upon Quebec, but were defeated, and their general was slain, in an attempt to capture the citadel. Already the French people of the Province had become so satisfied with British rule that they assisted in repelling the invaders.
Soon after this, Canada received a large body of settlers who had a great influence on the future history of the country. When the war of the American Revolution was over, there were still in the United States a considerable number of people who had throughout continued loyal to the British Government. Unwilling to remain as citizens of the new Republic, and in some cases suffering persecution there, great numbers of them removed to Canada. They have always been known and honoured as the United Empire Loyalists. These Loyalists, to the number of about 40,000, found homes in the Provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, districts then covered almost entirely with forest, but which soon became filled by their labours with pleasant farms and prosperous towns. It was not long, however, before they were called upon to defend the homes they had thus created and the flag which they had sacrificed and suffered so much to live under.
In 1812 war again broke out between Britain and the United States, and the people of the latter country again undertook the conquest of Canada. Although the whole population of Canada was then but 300,000, against 8,000,000 of their hostile neighbours, the country boldly prepared to meet the coming danger. Loyalists and French Canadians fought with equal bravery beside the few regulars of the British army then stationed in Canada.
Their efforts were crowned with success; the troops of the United States were driven back at almost every point of attack, and when the war closed in 1815, though many valuable lives had been lost, no inch of soil was surrendered, and Canada has since been left free to develop herself as a part of the British Empire. In this way the Canadian people have proved their right to be considered among the most patriotic of British citizens.
The battle on the Plains of Abraham, in which General Wolfe fell, was one of the turning-points in the world's history. Canada, hitherto colonised and governed by France, now became a part of the British Empire. The French people of the Province of Quebec became British subjects, and what had before been doubtful was now settled, namely, that people of British stock, rather than French, should control the greater part of the North American Continent. We can now understand what people are thinking of when they speak of Quebec as a very famous city.
We have seen how Canada was taken from France. Let me now say something about how it has been kept for England. Not many years after Wolfe's great victory at Quebec, the war of the American Revolution broke out. The English colonies south of Canada revolted from the Mother Country, and established an independent Government of their own under the name of the United States. Wishing to conquer Canada, they made an attack upon Quebec, but were defeated, and their general was slain, in an attempt to capture the citadel. Already the French people of the Province had become so satisfied with British rule that they assisted in repelling the invaders.
Soon after this, Canada received a large body of settlers who had a great influence on the future history of the country. When the war of the American Revolution was over, there were still in the United States a considerable number of people who had throughout continued loyal to the British Government. Unwilling to remain as citizens of the new Republic, and in some cases suffering persecution there, great numbers of them removed to Canada. They have always been known and honoured as the United Empire Loyalists. These Loyalists, to the number of about 40,000, found homes in the Provinces of Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, districts then covered almost entirely with forest, but which soon became filled by their labours with pleasant farms and prosperous towns. It was not long, however, before they were called upon to defend the homes they had thus created and the flag which they had sacrificed and suffered so much to live under.
In 1812 war again broke out between Britain and the United States, and the people of the latter country again undertook the conquest of Canada. Although the whole population of Canada was then but 300,000, against 8,000,000 of their hostile neighbours, the country boldly prepared to meet the coming danger. Loyalists and French Canadians fought with equal bravery beside the few regulars of the British army then stationed in Canada.
Their efforts were crowned with success; the troops of the United States were driven back at almost every point of attack, and when the war closed in 1815, though many valuable lives had been lost, no inch of soil was surrendered, and Canada has since been left free to develop herself as a part of the British Empire. In this way the Canadian people have proved their right to be considered among the most patriotic of British citizens.