The British in North America

Transcription

1 The British in North America hue you and your classmates are at the gym, the students in grade 7 come into your classroom. They sit at your desks and begin to use your school supplies. Soon, some grade 8 students barge into your classroom. Their room is overcrowded, and they are looking for more space. Your classroom is perfect for them. When they try to kick the grade 7 students out of your classroom, fighting breaks out between the two groups of students. It is at this moment that you and your classmates arrive back from the gym. You try to reclaim your desks, but the grade 7 and grade 8 students refuse to give them up. Eventually, you and your classmates are allowed to stay - not at your desks but on the floor at the back of the room. The above scenario is not too different from what happened when Europeans began expanding into Asia, Africa, the Americas, and elsewhere. In North America, both the French and the English believed they had the 4-. Figure 6.1 The construction of Halifax ffaA" 82 People and Stories of Canada to 1867 Chapter 6

2 right to claim the land as their own, and they gave little thought to Aboriginal ways of life. As you saw in earlier chapters, France and England had been enemies, on and off, for hundreds of years. Not surprisingly, the wars they fought elsewhere in the world during the 17th and 18th centuries carried over to North America. At first, the French and the English military were fairly equal. Gradually, however, England became the more powerful country. In this chapter, you will learn about the early years of the English presence in North America and find out how England was eventually able to take over New France. Many portraits in this chapter show men with a lot of hair. Most men did not really have long, curly hair. They wore wigs. In 1620, King Louis XIII of France began wearing a wig, because he was going bald. Soon, men all over the western world were wearing wigs. Some wigs were made of human hair, others of yak or horsehair. Those made of human hair were the most expensive. Wearers had to be careful their wigs were not full of lice, or worse, that the hair came from the head of someone who had died of the bubonic plague. Figure 6.2 Hairdressers constantly cleaned, curled, and powdered wigs such as these for their clients. why the English decided to colonize in North America where the British colonies were located how the British colonies were differerfium the French colonies who lived and worked in the colonies how the British presence affected Aboriginal peoples The British in North America 83

3 Newfoundland First settlements In the mid-1500s, the English began to fish for cod off Newfoundland's coast. They were not interested in staying in Newfoundland year-round. However, they had to go ashore to set up seasonal fishing camps. There, they salted and dried the fish before they returned to England. Over the next one hundred years, they built more and more camps until they controlled most of the southeast coast of Newfoundland. This area became known as "The English Shore." In 1611, John Guy, a merchant from Bristol, England, along with about 40 other colonists, formed Newfoundland's first permanent settlement at Cuper's Cove. Although Guy returned to England after a few years, approximately 60 people remained on the island. In 1621, George Calvert (later Lord Baltimore) started a colony on the Avalon Peninsula. That year, he sent 12 settlers to Newfoundland. In 1628, Lord Baltimore, with 40 members of his family and household, joined the settlers. However, he found the winter too harsh, he argued with the French, and he was unhappy that people within the colony fought over religious differences. Lord Baltimore moved to Maryland (see map, p. 86), but some of his colonists decided to stay in Newfoundland. Soon, the Newfoundland colony had grown to 100 people. The Beothuk The Beothuk people lived in Newfoundland before and during the time that Europeans began fishing in its coastal waters. In the Figure 6.3 This picture from the early 1700s shows cod being processed. After the fish were caught the fishermen went ashore to clean and wash the cod. Cod liver oil was collected, then the fish were salted and laid out to dry on platforms. summer, the Beothuk fished for cod and harp seals along the shore. In the winter, they moved inland and hunted caribou, beaver, and other small fur-bearing animals. While most Aboriginal peoples traded with the Europeans, the Beothuk kept to themselves as much as possible. For centuries, the Beothuk people had made yearly journeys between the coast and the Newfoundland interior. By the mid-1700s, however, the Beothuk no longer had access to the sea. European fishermen had taken over most of the coast, and the Beothuk were forced to remain in the interior. There, they could not find enough food, and many died from starvation. Diseases brought over by Europeans killed many others. Other Beothuk were killed by settlers. In 1823, the last remaining Beothuk, a woman named Shanawdithit, was captured. She was taken to the home of William Cormack, an English explorer who was very interested in the Beothuk. Shanawdithit 84 People and Stories of Canada to 1867 Chapter 6

4 spent a great deal of time talking to Cormack about her people. She drew picture and described the Beothuk ways of life. Most of what we know about the Beothuk is because Shanawdithit was willing to tell her story. Shanawdithit's death from tuberculosis in 1829 was a terrible tragedy, signifying the death of an entire people. The Beothuk culture, which had flourished for hundreds of years, had been driven to extinction. Henry Grout, an associate of John Guy, wrote about a meeting between the Beothuk and the English. Then the governor sent the boat to go ashore and there landed one man called Master Whittington with our flag of truce. Then there landed one of theirs out of the canoe and so came to parlay by signs one to the other with handing and dancing together, they laughing much with very great voices. Then there came another of their men ashore [and] presently there landed another of ours. Then afterward the governor landed and some 4 more of us. The governor made them a banquet with raisins, bread and butter and beer and aquavitae which they like well. But first they gave us at our coming ashore chains of shells and put [them] about our necks for great presents. The governor bestowed [on] them a shirt, napkin, handkerchiefs and points and our flag of truce. They gave us some of their dry venison. They were very Joyful of our flag of truce. Diseases Before Europeans came to North America, Aboriginal peoples had not been exposed to diseases such as smallpox, measles, and tuberculosis. Therefore, they were not immune to (had no way to fight off) these diseases. Many Aboriginal peoples died from illnesses brought over by Europeans; some Aboriginal nations died out completely. Figure 6.4 This is one of 12 drawings that Shanawdithit drew while she stayed with William Cormack. She described what she was drawing, and Cormack made detailed notes. The British in North America 85

5 The Thirteen Colonies England was interested in New France for two main reasons. The first was the fishing industry. The coast surrounding Newfoundland had some of the best fishing grounds in the world. For many European countries on the Atlantic Ocean, fish was an important source of food. The second reason was defence. England did not want France to threaten its territory in North America. As a place to set up colonies, England was much more interested in lands to the south of Quebec. There, the weather was warmer, the soil was more fertile, and the settlements were easier to reach. The first colony was settled in present-day Virginia in The land was excellent for crops, and tobacco soon became a wealth-producing export. - Throughout the 1600s, people from England crossed the Atlantic and established / colonies along the east coast of presentday United Stat'es. Some groups of people, such as the Puritans, came to escape religious persecution. They were the founders of Massachusetts. New Hampshire was founded as a fishing village. Georgia, settled with people from "debtor's prison," acted as a barrier between the English colonies and Spanish-owned Florida. England's settlements became known as the Thirteen Colonies and, later, the United States of America. War Between France and Britain European countries were often at war with one another during the 17th and 18th centuries. Wars that involved France and Britain (see box, right) spread to their colonies in North America. Figure 6.5 THIZTEEN COLONIES. This ntap shows the Thirteen Colonies in The dates show when each became a Fritish colony. What is a peace treaty? A peace treaty is a written agreement that is made and signed between two nations (sometimes more) or sides. Treaties set up the terms of peace after a war. They also set out the rules nations must follow in their dealings with each other. 86 People and Stories of Canada to 1867 Chapter 6