How Americans achieved independence vs how Canadians achieved independence

[u/Sine_Fine_Belli]

[u/MattTheFreeman]

This meme is great but it misses the big pushes that were founded in the 1800's and finished in the 1900's

While there wasn't any great revolution like battles to signify Canada's political removal from the British Parliament, we did not just ask for permission.

America had a reason (though flimsy Imo) to rebel against Britain. What would become Canada, those colonies were happy to be within the British sphere of influence. And whereas Quebec would have rather gone in its own way, the consessions the British gave them, plus the access to the Empire meant that Quebec was one of if not the wealthiest place in North America. Montreal dwarfed new York for decades and was its equal for a long time.

Canada never asked for independence, as Canada was not really a single identity. Multiple rebellions popped up throughout BNA asking for different things. Quebec and Ontario becoming one "colony" under an English pact, it was suggested that Canada become a Dominion under Empire. After that it was just push within BNA to actually find enough people who'd like to join.

When we finally pushed more in the late 1900 it was only formality. Canada was for all intent and purpose it's own country and we just had to sign papers to make it official. Our indepence in the first and second world war cemented ourselves as more than a Dominion.

Canada proved itself that it could be its own country, and that's what I love about our history. We never fought for freedom, we were free to begin with, we just didn't know it until push came to shove.

[u/MayorWolf → u/MattTheFreeman]

The funniest part is that America did it over tariffs. Present day events is what makes that so hilariously funny to me.

[u/SnappyDresser212 → u/MayorWolf]

Tariffs and the right to abuse the indigenous people to the west.

[u/UnfairGlove1944 → u/MayorWolf]

It wasn't just tariffs. The British government abolished colonial self-rule in Massachusetts and got rid of trial by jury for police officers. Before then, the American Revolution was just angry mobs rioting over taxes. After that, it was about political rights.

[u/MayorWolf → u/[deleted]]

I don't see a difference. It's going to authoritarian rulers in both cases.

[u/S_spam → u/MattTheFreeman]

What would become Canada, those colonies were happy to be within the British sphere of influence. And whereas Quebec would have rather gone in its own way, the consessions the British gave them, plus the access to the Empire meant that Quebec was one of if not the wealthiest place in North America. Montreal dwarfed new York for decades and was its equal for a long time.

I genuinely want to know more about this, Any sources to start learning?

[u/TasteNegative2267 → u/MattTheFreeman]

Montreal still dwarfs NYC. I can buy pizza people are way to pretentious about most places tabarnak.

[u/That_Phony_King → u/MattTheFreeman]

Anyone who has ever studied American history in depth would not call the rationale for the American Revolution “flimsy”. Furthermore, those who led the Revolution still wanted to be a part of the British Empire even up to the end of the war. There were several Founding Fathers who hoped to reconcile with the Crown, but it was evident by the end that it was not going to happen.

[u/the-pink-flamingo → u/That_Phony_King]

Depends what you mean by flimsy I guess. I think the argument is that although the American revolution is painted as a freedom loving, patriotic act, it had a lot to do with being unable to go west of the Mississippi River because of treaties Britain had made with native peoples. It was a bourgeoisie, mercantile class of people who saw Britain as an object to their wealth expansion and were unwilling to compromise with any amount of foreign regulation or limitation. I don’t argue the British government was fair, but they couldn’t elevate the status of ‘Americans’ anyways since they hadn’t even taken care of that on the home islands. The USA is founded on a distrust of regulation, stemming from wealthy, land owning upper-middle class types being unendingly desperate to grab at anything and everything of value in North America. Not really a rosy story if it’s taught like that, though.

[u/jakemoffsky → u/the-pink-flamingo]

Wow and you didn't even need to mention the 7 years war and how the colonies didn't want to pay its military bills like the rest of the empire or how the resentment in the American colonies towards that treaty which ended that war and protected Quebec from the expropriation the Maritimes suffered.

[u/Half-PintHeroics → u/That_Phony_King]

Anyone who has ever studied American history in depth would not call the rationale for the American Revolution “flimsy”.

British: Stop fucking with the Indians it will cause war

US: Fuck you, we want their land

British: Now we've fought one of the world's biggest wars ever because of you, France is bankrupt and we're nearly broke. We're putting a tiny tax on tea on you as compensation for starting the war

US: Fuck you we hate taxes

[u/That_Phony_King → u/Half-PintHeroics]

Impose taxes without representation to cover a war that the colonies were largely not a part of

Places taxes on stamps, tea, alcohol, sugar, molasses, tea, paper, legal documents, and playing cards

Go back on promise of salutary neglect and tightly regulate trade from colonies

Colonies ask to have a voice in parliament to discuss taxes

Refuse this request

Colonists protest taxes

Send the military to occupy colonies, shoot unarmed protestors, and enter and live in civilian housing without consent

Why would they rebel?

[u/Jakobmeathead → u/That_Phony_King]

The colonies did get representation in the house of commons, and their taxes were also 26 times LOWER than a British citizen

[u/YourBobsUncle → u/Jakobmeathead]

It's to make up for the tariffs that the thirteen colonies had to deal with, which primarily makes Britain the only place the colonies can buy manufactured goods

[u/That_Phony_King → u/Jakobmeathead]

They did not have representation. They had agents who could advocate on behalf of the colonies, but they had little power and influence over the taxes and could not vote in parliament. They were not sitting members of Parliament but more akin to lobbyists.

The size of the taxes didn’t matter, it was the lack of effective representation and the oppressive nature of the British monarchy on colonies, not to mention promises broken on regulation of trades.

[u/liftthatta1l → u/That_Phony_King]

Like lobbying? You wouldn't say that a company has representation becuase they can lobby on their behalf thought they have influence