Throughout the semester we were required to complete various reflections on several topics during pre-Confederation Canada. Below I have provided the reading logs I found the most fascinating.  The reading logs allowed me to think critically on the past and reflect. It also allowed me to practice my writing skills and learn how to use Chicago-Manual of Style.

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BC Gold Rush/ Into That Country Work 

           An article called, “Into That Country Work” by Mica Jorgenson examines the role of Indigenous people during the time of the gold rush in Barkerville, British Columbia. During this period Barkerville was thriving with wealth and resources. Additionally, the primary document, “A Great Humbug” elicits a negative vibe towards the gold rush. These articles shed light on Indigenous peoples and their involvement and the negativity towards the gold rush.

          Jorgenson’s article looks at the involvement of the Dakleh people during the gold rush in Barkerville. It was previously believed that Indigenous people were not involved whatsoever with the gold rush and associated with Barkerville. Dakleh people in fact had their land taken from them for the gold rush and therefore they did not actively participate. Although they didn’t directly participate in the gold rush they offered services such as,“berry picking, laundry services, packing and packhorse support, hunting, selling salmon and eulachon, letter-carrying, mining, and prostitution.” Some of these people did very well during these times but most experienced poverty. Jorgenson’s article states that, “The evidence presented here indicates that, in the 1860s and 1870s, a Dakleh group was decimated by disease at nearby Bowron Lake”.

               The primary document, “A Great Humbug” views the gold rush as more or less a negative event. Gold fever is what a lot of people had during the nineteenth century. People would give up everything in order to go to Barkerville and various other gold towns to get rich quick. The gold rush attracted a variety of individuals primarily due to the fact that, “gold seeker required neither skills nor capital.” Therefore it was easy to go searching for gold but finding it was the tricky part. A lot of people lost everything during these times.

              Both the article and primary document uncovers the truth about what happened during the gold rush. It wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies, a lot of people lost everything they had. Gold fever was contagious and everyone wanted their hands on it whether or not how risky it could be. Although some Dakleh did mine for gold a lot seemed to be immune to this phenomenon and stayed very much so in the low light of it. Both documents give good evidence on the hardships during this time.

Notes

  1. Jorgenson, Mica, “Into That Country Work”, Aboriginal Economic Activities during Barkerville’s Gold Rush, (2015), 135.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Primary Documents: “BC Gold Rushes” from Thomas Thorner and Thor Frohn-Nielsen (Eds.), A Few Acres of Snow: Documents in Pre-Confederation Canadian History, 3(2009), 233.

Bibliography

“BC Gold Rushes” from Thomas Thorner and Thor Frohn-Nielsen (Eds.), A Few Acres of Snow: Documents in Pre-Confederation Canadian History (3rd Edition), Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2009: 232-253.

Mica, Jorgenson, “Into That Country to Work,” Aboriginal Economic Activities during Barkerville’s Gold Rush: 109-135.

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We Are Well As We Are

                An article called, “We Are Well As We Are’: An Indian Critique of Seventeenth-Century Christian Missions,” written by James P. Ronda examines the controversy of enforcing beliefs of European colonizers. The missionaries ideologies that were imposed onto indigenous people included government, marriage, and economy. Particularly, this article looks at christianity and how indigenous people were pushed to conform to European religion. This article primarily looks at the Huron Tribe and the difficulties they faced in regards to European settlers and the enforcement of their cultural beliefs.

              The Jesuits initially thought that it would be fairly effortless to convert indigenous people that supposedly lacked religion. It was viewed by historians that they were trying to transform indigenous people from their culture entirely. This had several negative impacts for many indigenous groups such as an assumed spread of disease, abuse, and social weakening.

               Smallpox spread like wildfire through indigenous tribes killing many. Hurons believed that missionaries knew more about the disease and were using baptisms in order to spread it. This idea was believed so strongly by many that people were calling for the execution of Jesuits in order to save their tribes. Missionaries banned the use of traditional healing ceremonies to their converts through these times of illness. These sorts of traditions were viewed as sinful and acts of satan.

               The Huron tribes experienced social weakening as a result of tribe members conforming to European beliefs, religion, and culture. Consequently, the indigenous people that had converted distanced themselves from their traditional values and customs. The thought of heaven and hell was still fairly confusing to both converts and those that resisted christianity. As stated in the text: “Huron religious leaders proclaimed that those writhing in the flames were not the unbelievers but the converts if hell existed at all, they seemed to be saying, it would surely be reserved for those traitors who have abandoned the way of their fathers.” Therefore, this inherently weakened the Huron members fighting against conforming.

             In conclusion, indigenous people and their culture suffered greatly from European missionaries coming and enforcing their beliefs onto them. From the assumed physical ailments the missionaries brought, to the cultural and religious devastation of their preachings, the push to conform to the European way of life proved to be highly destructive to their own.

Notes

  1.  James P. Ronda, “‘We Are Well As We Are’: An Indian Critique of Seventeenth-Century Christian Missions,” The William and Mary Quarterly 34:1 (January 1977), pp. 66-82.

Bibliography

James P. Ronda, “‘We Are Well As We Are’: An Indian Critique of Seventeenth-Century Christian       Missions,” The William and Mary Quarterly 34:1 (January 1977), pp. 66-82.

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Acts of Resistance

               In an article written by Aufa Cooper called, “Acts of Resistance” examines how enslaved Africans resisted their enslavement in diverse ways. The website, Enslaved Africans in Canada also gave us additional information on enslavement in nineteenth century Canada. Both sources explain the history of enslavement of Africans and how it shaped Canada as we know today.

              Enslaved Africans were very productive in their own salvation during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Some examples of long-term acts of resistance were arson, permanent marrapone, armed rebellions, and murder. Cooper explains that both long-term and short-term acts of resistance were different. For example, had more aspiring plans that would develop into a combined political resistance. Resistance both long-term and short term also varied amongst different genders. Women resisted through fertility, reproduction, and poisoning etc. Since women were closing linked to household chores during the nineteenth century it allowed the act of poisoning to be brought around much easier. Therefore, enslaved Africans were constructive in regards to acts of resistance.

              The website titled, “Enslaved Africans in Canada” examines individual people and how they were affected by this time period. Various stories explain several diverse acts of resistance. The website goes into detail about several individuals and their own unique acts of resistance.

            In conclusion, enslaved Africans were proactive when it came to acts of resistance. Both sources give us a good understanding about how it was like during these periods of early Canada.

Notes

  1. Afua Cooper, “Acts of Resistance: Black Men and Women Engage Slavery in Upper Canada, 1793-1803,” Ontario History, 99 (Spring 2007), 6.
  2. Ibid.

Bibliography

Afua Cooper, “Acts of Resistance: Black Men and Women Engage Slavery in Upper Canada, 1793-1803,” Ontario History, Vol.99, Issue 1 (Spring 2007), pp. 5- 17.

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Responses to Confederation

            In the document, “Responses to the Confederation proposals” it discusses how certain regions made arguments for and against the Confederation of Canada. Anti-Confederation regions included Ontario, Quebec, Maritime Colonies, and Newfoundland. Pro-Confederation regions included Maritime colonies, Ontario Delegates, and Quebec. At the time, men that didn’t own property, all women and Indigenous could not be elected politicians. And Indigenous people were not involved in the constitutional procedure whatsoever. Indigenous people had no rights and therefore, were not apart of the political society. For those that were apart of the “political society” were either for or against the Confederation of Canada.

           A lot of people and regions were against the confederation of Canada. Members of Parti rouge believed that Confederation was a scheme and that the French-Canadians would seriously be underrepresented in the House of Commons. People in the New Brunswick initially rejected the idea of Confederation due to lack of economic ties to the Canadas, beliefs that it could cause high tariffs, and have lots of debt due to the construction of the railway. The people on Nova Scotia believed that by joining Confederation they would lose their sense of identity. The government was crumbling in Prince Edward Island as they were strongly rejecting Confederation sharing similar beliefs to the people of New Brunswick.

             In contrast many people and regions supported the idea of Confederation across the Canadas. George-Etienne Cartier was one of these people. He exclaimed that Quebec after confederation would control their own provincial government and legislature, have their own local administration and retain the Civil Code. He also noted that Quebec would maintain their French language as their official language within their province. New Brunswick premier Samuel Leonard Tilley, preaches that Confederation would be a good thing suggesting that, “Saint John would be a year round, ice-free port for the export of Canadian goods, and a lucrative market would exist in central Canada for Maritime coal and manufactured goods.” During this time it was challenging for people to weigh both the pros and cons to joining Confederation.

            In conclusion, it seemed as though pre-Confederation Canada was torn between joining Confederation and not. There were a lot of good solid debates and worries amongst society and deciding to take on a new identity was scary for a lot of individuals. In the end, it all resulted in everyone joining Confederation, although I’m sure there were a lot of people not happy about the decision.

Notes

  1. “Responses to Confederation Proposals” 464.
  2. Ibid.
  3. Ibid.
  4. Ibid 465.
  5. Ibid 466.
  6. Ibid.
  7. Ibid.
  8. Ibid 465.
  9. Ibid.
  10. Ibid 466.

Bibliography

Responses to the Confederation Proposals, pp. 464-468