The Account of Canada Before 1760
Short Essay Assignment
History 224
Critical Analyses of: “Canada before 1760”
The account of “Canada before 1760,”1 illustrates how life in Canada is often misinterpreted before this time. Misinterpretation often occurs due to the biased portrayal, as well as debates, on such topics as frontierism vs. metropolitanism, decapitation theory vs. changing masters theory, the significance of the roles played by the natives vs. the European colonists, and also the power religion had or did not have over the native peoples. Although, the opening sentence, in the account of Canada before 1760, is a reflection of the decapitation theory2, what follows does not support the theory and is an example of how misinterpretations are often made. The author states that “Here, as in France, the clergy and the great landlords dominated the lives of the habitants totally, the former dictating to them a moral code in which entrepreneurship was a vice, and both groups picking their pockets without restraint.” 3The author describes the social structure of New France as “similar” 4 to that of the Feudal system of Europe at the time, however; the only similarity was the basic structure of the system. The foundation of New France’ social structure was based on the European feudal system however; the whole essence of the new society was very different. 7 The true heart of the society in New France was far from the Master-Slave type structure of the motherland. The system that developed needed to be much more enticing than that of the motherland, and the reason for this was that, it was a new land with very few inhabitants and cooperation was vital in order to survive. In addition, survival depended on new immigrants, and in order to acquire and maintain the immigrants New France needed to be as enticing as possible. In both countries land was distributed to the peasants by a landlord who was appointed by the Crown, they did not, however, receive equal amounts. In France
History 224
Critical Analyses of: “Canada before 1760”
The account of “Canada before 1760,”1 illustrates how life in Canada is often misinterpreted before this time. Misinterpretation often occurs due to the biased portrayal, as well as debates, on such topics as frontierism vs. metropolitanism, decapitation theory vs. changing masters theory, the significance of the roles played by the natives vs. the European colonists, and also the power religion had or did not have over the native peoples. Although, the opening sentence, in the account of Canada before 1760, is a reflection of the decapitation theory2, what follows does not support the theory and is an example of how misinterpretations are often made. The author states that “Here, as in France, the clergy and the great landlords dominated the lives of the habitants totally, the former dictating to them a moral code in which entrepreneurship was a vice, and both groups picking their pockets without restraint.” 3The author describes the social structure of New France as “similar” 4 to that of the Feudal system of Europe at the time, however; the only similarity was the basic structure of the system. The foundation of New France’ social structure was based on the European feudal system however; the whole essence of the new society was very different. 7 The true heart of the society in New France was far from the Master-Slave type structure of the motherland. The system that developed needed to be much more enticing than that of the motherland, and the reason for this was that, it was a new land with very few inhabitants and cooperation was vital in order to survive. In addition, survival depended on new immigrants, and in order to acquire and maintain the immigrants New France needed to be as enticing as possible. In both countries land was distributed to the peasants by a landlord who was appointed by the Crown, they did not, however, receive equal amounts. In France
Cited: Finkel,Alvin. History 224: Study Guide 1. Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University, 2002. Garfield, Chad,ed. The Invention of Canada: Readings in Pre-Confederation History. Toronto: Copp Clark Pitmann, 1994. 2 Alvin Finkel, History 224: Study Guide 1. (Athabasca, AB: Athabasca University, 2002) 46. The Invention of Canada: Readings in Pre-Confederation History, (Toronto: Copp Clark Pitmann, 1994) 134.