Canadian History Pre-Confederation - Essay Example

Canadian history pre-confederation Introduction Canadian confederation was an extensive political process that resulted in the formation of federal Dominion of Canada in 1867. The formation of the Dominion resulted in the creation of a harmonious and governable state. Prior to the confederation, the present day Canada was a vast land that formed part of the New France. However, the land lacked effective system of governance thus leading to the rise in conflicting interests as various colonizers scrambled to colonize a land that had original inhabitants. This led to the formation of various treaties in order to make the colony both governable and habitable for the colonial masters. The treaties sought to create peace between the British and the Aboriginal people in the country thus making the country easy to exploit for the British colonial masters and conducive for the habitation of the aboriginals as the discussion below portrays. Between 1700 and 1867, Canada survived on a series of treaties that earned segmented peace to the country and its inhabitants thus enhancing the existence of the various people who occupied the land1. Key among the treaties in pre confederation Canada was the Niagara treaty signed in 1764, the Selkirk treaty in 1817 and bind head treaties of 1836 among many others. A treaty refers to an agreement between two parties involved in a conflict. The agreement provides effective structures for the resolution of a conflict by safeguarding the interests of all the conflicting parties. This explains the numerous treaties signed in pre confederation Canada. The country had numerous inhabitants al of who felt entitled to the land and its resources. This often led to wars and conflicts such as the 1812 war. Such sectarian wars were obvious portrayal of the conflicts in the country as the various inhabitants fought for the resources. The creation of the numerous treaties within such short periods was a portrayal of the weaknesses of the treaties. Treaties are always contemporary and seek to provide short-term resolutions to the prevailing conflicts. As such, the treaties provided short-term ways of sharing the resources among two or more conflicting societies but the parties often rescinded the treaties in case their interests faltered. Signed in 1817, Selkirk treaty was one of the treaties that lasted the shortest in pre confederation Canada. Thomas Selkirk, a British aristocrat wanted to create a colony by purchasing a vast land previously owned by the Hudson Bay Company. The land extended into areas occupied by the Cree and Chippewa nations. He thus signed a treaty with the two nations in order to share the land that stretched along the Red River. The treaty ceased when Thomas Selkirk died in 1836 and the Hudson Company reclaimed ownership of the land. The Selkirk treaty portrays the intricate features of the treaties signed in the pre confederation Canada. The treaty provided a peaceful way of sharing the land thus enabling all the parties to benefit by exploiting the land in their own unique ways. However, the longevity and effectiveness of the treaties relied on the commitments of the state parties involved in the treaty. When Selkirk died, he created a vacuum that the numerous inhabitants of the land sought to fill. His death was a natural act of elimination of one of the phenomenal parties in the treaty thus validating the anarchy that ensued the collapse of the treaty as the Hudson Company fought to reclaim the vast colony. Niagara treaty, 1764 The Niagara treaty was one of the largest treaties in the pre confederation Canada. Land was a major factor that required effective resolution especially with the settlement of the British colonial masters in the land. The aboriginals felt that they had absolute rights to the lands that belonged to their ancestors. The British colonizers on the other hand wanted to settle and exploit the land for their own economic benefit. Such created a tense state that made it difficult for either party to live peacefully. As such, the British fronted the Niagara treaty in order to front effective ways of sharing the land between the aboriginals and the British. According to the treaty, the British enjoyed free land for economic exploitations while safeguarding the interests of the aboriginals who lived in squatters and would receive periodic presents from the British colonial masters. The Niagara treaty earned the aboriginals a sense of belonging since they could share the natural resources amicably. This way, the aboriginals retained their land since they obtained the right of settlement while the British secured large tracks of fertile lands, which they exploited for economic gains. Additionally, the treaty united the aboriginals and the British. The treaty made both parties enjoy a sense of belonging thus eliciting the growth of trust and nationalism. In 1812 for example during the war, the aboriginals fought alongside the British. The 1812 war was yet another portrayal of growing conflicts as various quarters began expressing interests in occupying the vast land. The number of both Indians and Americans competing to occupy the vast land grew rapidly thus increasing pressure on the meager resource thus instigating the war. As explained earlier, treaties bring to conflicting parties together thus creating strong friendships from former foes. Effective treaties ensure the representation of the interests of both parties thus eliminating instances of discomfort in the resultant agreement. This was the case in the Niagara treaty as the British and the aboriginals who had fought for land now became close allies. During the 1812 war, the aboriginals for example sided with the British in a portrayal of trust and friendship. The Niagara treaty ensured that both parties retained a piece of land. Additionally, the British had promised to develop a buffer state thus increasing the land owned by the aboriginals. The aboriginals played integral roles in ensuing that the British won the war. They for example took Detroit a victory that increased the British influence in the North America region. Annulling the Niagara treaty, 1836 The Niagara treaty lasted to 1836. Within its period, the treaty regulated the relationship between the aboriginals and the British thus creating peaceful coexistence between the two groups. The British gave the aboriginals various types of presents including half-breed animals to improve the aboriginal’s food security. However, treaties last only for as long as they serve their purpose. The British portrayed a degree of greed as they used the treaty to amass both economic wealth and numerical superiority2. In 1836, when the British colonies in North America had amassed adequate wealth and the number of the aboriginal had decreased drastically, the British announced that they would not give the aboriginals presents anymore thus marketing the annulment of the Niagara treaty. The case of the Niagara treaty proved that treaties serve only to quell conflicts. When the British felt that the threat of opposition had lowered drastically, they withdrew from the treaty thus taking over control of the country’s resources forcefully. They succeeded in doing this since they used the peaceful period to increase both their numeric and economic might. Without the numeric superiority and consolidated military organization, the aboriginals did not present any threat that required such an elaborate system as a treaty to manage. Bond head treaty, 1836 After the annulment of the Niagara treaty, the British still wanted better control of the land. They viewed the aboriginals as hunter and gatherers who would not conform to the new lifestyles of farming. As such, they wanted to remove the aboriginals from the fertile and arable lands and push them to the Manitoulin Island where they could live their unique lifestyle. Furthermore, the number of European settlers was increasing thus the need for arable land. The aboriginals refused the offer3. All they wanted was protection from the white settlers who would remove them from their ancestral land. The treaty lasted longer since the British had outnumbered the aboriginals who could not therefore front their interests cohesively. Conclusion In retrospect, pre confederation Canada was characterized by a series of conflicts and upheavals as the various inhabitants fought for the primary resources key among which was land. Among the groups fighting for the resources included the British, the Americans, Indians and the aboriginals. Each group felt entitled to the resources a feature that heightened the growth and manifestation of conflicts. In order to avert costly conflicts, the various groups formed specific treaties in order to create peaceful coexistence among themselves. The need for peace was integral in ensuring that the societies developed rapidly. The treaties were the surest way of ensuring the manifestation of peace in the region in order to enhance the settlement process. Among the most significant treaties in the pre-confederation Canada was the Niagara treaty formed between the British and the aboriginals. The treaty formed unity between the two aggressive groups thus ensuring that each group enjoyed space to live freely. Effective crafted treaties such as the Niagara treaty ensures the creation of formidable partnerships as was the case between the groups who even fought alongside each other thus enhancing the victory of the British in the 1982 war. References Canada, and P. B. Waite. 2006. The Confederation debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 a selection. Montreal [Que.]: McGill-Queens University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10424209. MacFarlane, Daniel. 2014. Negotiating a river: Canada, the US, and the creation of the St. Lawrence Seaway. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&scope=site&db=nlebk&db=nlabk& N=639165. Verney, Jack. 1991. The good regiment the Carignan-Salières Regiment in Canada, 1665-1668. Montreal [Que.]: McGill-Queens University Press. http://site.ebrary.com/id/10139057. Read More

 

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