Canadian History Essay (or help me find a topic that doesn't put me to sleep)

Cheerios

So I have to write a term paper for my mandatory pre-confederate Canadian history course, and I'm really drawing a blank on what to research/write about. Canadian history can be a rather dry subject and I'm afraid of selecting a topic that will give me the urge to shoot myself in the face out of sheer boredom. So this leads me to my question: What is a topic/event/person in pre-confederate (prior to 1867) would make for an interesting research paper? I was thinking possibly something related to the war of 1812, but I'm definitely open to hear any suggestions. Thanks for the help.

-C.

LittleSin

I've always found vikings to be awesome. You could write about the vikings that attempted to settle in Newfoundland...or how we killed off a whole race of people (the Beothuk).

Basically, Newfoundland history is the best history.

Chake99

1812 is pretty sick.

There a few cool incidents. Generally General Brock was a balling dude, and there was one point where Canadians gained control of the great lakes by capturing the only two schooners above the falls with rowboats.

Ruckus

The history of the Red River Colony here in Manitoba is a pretty good read.

saggio

Do something on Louis-Joseph Papineau.

Mithrandir86

What are the particulars of the question? Is this undergraduate or high school? How long is it supposed to be?

TaGuelle

There are a bunch of interesting subjects you could do.

The War of 1812 and solidification of the canadian identity/american relations.

The seven years war and the effects on quebec.

The Acadian expulsion and music and art it inspired.

Anglophone/Francophone relations post seven years war.

Hell write an entire essay on the Cour de Boir (sp) and how bad ass they were.

Cyd Cyclone

The Fenian Invasion is an interesting exercise in the absurd.

Nylonathetep

There's also the Upper Canada Rebellion, especially this guy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lyon_Mackenzie

War of 1812... you know why the white house is white? We burn it down and because the states was so broke at the time... they just cover the ashed building with white wash

There's also a series of Wars back in Europe (War of Spanish Succession...etc) that causes shift in power in the newly founded America... and later on War in America itself... in which (as usual) the French lose ground and finally those Englishmen "Liberated" Quebec in this battle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Plains_of_Abraham regrettably we let them live and keep their culture and language and now they want independence... but at least they got us poutine.

Another side effect of the french losing is the complete wipe out of the Native Hurons that allied with them during the war. The English was back by the Iroquois and it was such a complete destruction of the Huron nation that there are no pure blood Huron on this earth today. Considering that the Hurons outnumbered and overwhelm the Iroquois before the Europeans came.

Red River Rebellion is also something nice to look at.

Also when the United States of America won their war of independence, the Loyalist that was still left in the states were exiled north into Arcadia (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the eastern seaboard area)

Finally there's always the early settlement history... how the French Explorer Chaplain founded New France, explore the St.Lawrence seaway, etc...


So yah... next time you try to taunt the Canadians.. remember that we burn the white house down.... and we also beat you guys in Hockey.

Azio

TaGuelle wrote: »

There are a bunch of interesting subjects you could do.

The War of 1812 and solidification of the canadian identity/american relations.

The seven years war and the effects on quebec.

The Acadian expulsion and music and art it inspired.

Anglophone/Francophone relations post seven years war.

Hell write an entire essay on the Cour de Boir (sp) and how bad ass they were.

Coureurs de bois.

legallytired

The Coureurs des bois are really badass indeed.

The most famous one is Étienne Brûlé.

Also, beer!

In 1617, La compagnie du Canada(monopoly of french fur trade) offers an apothecary job in Quebc to Louis Hébert.. A friend of Champlain, Louis became the first master brewer in Nouvelle France. With a 900 liters furnace(?) capacity for a population of about 60...


Not sure how much info you can gather about this on the web...


Les filles du roy can be an interesting subject too I guess.

Nylonathetep

legallytired wrote: »

Les filles du roy can be an interesting subject too I guess.

I don't think shipping french women so they can get married and have children for men in the new world is an interesting subject... but that's just IMHO.

TaGuelle

Azio wrote: »

TaGuelle wrote: »

There are a bunch of interesting subjects you could do.

The War of 1812 and solidification of the canadian identity/american relations.

The seven years war and the effects on quebec.

The Acadian expulsion and music and art it inspired.

Anglophone/Francophone relations post seven years war.

Hell write an entire essay on the Cour de Boir (sp) and how bad ass they were.

Coureurs de bois.

Haha, I was so off, it's not even funny, I don't think I'll ever be able to write in French.

James

Having taken this class (this is a first year uni course), the main topics people will be going for are the War of 1812, Acadian Expulsion, HBC/Fur Trade, Seven Years War/Royal Proclamation of 1763, the rebellions in Upper/Lower Canada, and anything to do with the status or accomplishments of some segment of society (such as women, first nations, etc).

While Red River stuff is pretty interesting, avoid that topic. It's covered in the post-Confederation course, if you take it.

Something I guarantee no one else in your class will write about is the rise of representative government in any of the three maritime colonies, if that piques your interest at all.