Scott W. See. The History of Canada. Second Edition

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relations or friends must certify that they have always been well-

behaved; if by chance there are found among those who have, some

who are in disrepute, or who are said to have misconducted

themselves on the voyage out, they are sent back to France.

As for the scapegraces, if any come over it is only because they are

not known for what they are, and when they are in the country they

have to live like decent people, otherwise they would have a bad time

of it: we know how to hang people in this country as well as they do

elsewhere, and we have proved it to some who have not been well

behaved. Justice is administered here, and those who are not satisfied

with their decisions can appeal to the Governor and the Sovereign

Council, appointed by the King, and sitting at Quebec.

Hitherto we have lived pleasantly enough, pleased God to give us

Governors who have all been good men, and besides we have had the

Jesuit Fathers who take great pains to teach the people what is right

so that all goes on peaceably; we live much in the fear of God, and

nothing scandalous takes place without its being put to rights

immediately; there is great religious devotion throughout the country.

A Portrait of Life in New France 297

A Church Perspective on

Women and Their Clothing

Although the Roman Catholic church undeniably had a powerful

influence on the spiritual and cultural life of virtually all settlers in

New France, ample evidence suggests that it was not able to control

social behavior as much as the clerics might have wished. The

following edict in 1682 offers an insight to the preferred attire of

some women in Quebec. It comes from Mandements des Évêques

(Mandates from the Bishops).

“Against Luxury and Vanity of Women and Girls in Church, Quebec,

February 26, 1682”

If the Fathers and Doctors of the Church censure with force against

the luxury and vanity of girls and women who, forgetting the

promises of their baptism, appear dressed and ornamented with

displays of Satan which they so solemnly renounced, it is to indicate

to us the extreme horror that God has of such a disorder, which

makes those who are guilty of it all the more guilty before Him, in

that, wishing to please the eyes of men, they make themselves the

captives and instruments of the Demon who uses this luxury to make

them, and those who see them, commit an infinity of sins. . . . If these

vain appearances displease God so strongly . . .of what crime are they

not guilty, and what punishment might be expected by those who

wear this ostentatious apparel . . .in our churches, appearing in these

Cameron Nish, The French Regime (Scarborough, Ont.: Prentice-Hall of Canada,

1965), 75–76.

A Church Perspective on Women and Their Clothing 299

consecrated places to pray and do penance in indecent apparel,

showing a scandalous nudity of arms, shoulders, and throats,

contenting themselves with covering them with a transparent fabric

which only serves to give lustre to these shameful nudities; the head

bared or but covered with a transparent net and the hair curled in a

manner unworthy of a Christian person. . . .

For these causes we expressly prohibit all women and girls of no

matter what rank or consideration to approach the sacraments . . .in

the indecent manners specified. . . .

François

300 A Church Perspective on Women and Their Clothing

A Military Perspective

During the Seven Years’ War

For many decades historians have explored the inequities in

population size and economic might in New France and the American

colonies to the south. The complicated internal struggles between the

governing representatives and military leaders in Quebec added

another important dimension to the question of whether or not the

conquest and collapse of New France was demographically and

logistically inevitable. Contemporaries also grappled with that

important question. The Marquis de Montcalm, who was in

command of the French forces in the colony, offered his assessment

of the colony’s precarious position and his contempt for the civilian

leadership. The following excerpts come from two letters that were

written on the same day: 12 April 1759.

M. de Montcalm to M. de Cremile

The war has changed character in Canada. The vast force of the

English, our example determines them on continuous operations in a

country where the Canadians thought they were making war, and

were making, so to speak, hunting excursions. Our principles of war,

considering our inferiority, ought to be, to contract our defensive, in

order to preserve at least, the body of the Colony, and retard its loss;

to combine with the system of European tactics the use to be made of

E.B. O’Callaghan, ed., Documents Relative to the Colonial History of the State of

New York (Albany, NY: Weed, Parsons, 1858), 958–962 [CIHM microfiche

series; #53993].

A Military Perspective During the Seven Years’ War 301

the Indians. This is what I am always saying, but the prejudices or

councils of quacks are followed. No matter, I serve the King and the

State. I shall always express my opinion. I shall execute to the best of

my ability. . . .To retreat would be the ruin of the Colony. . . .

M. de Montcalm to Marshal de Belle Isle

Canada will be taken this campaign, and assuredly during the next,

if there be not some unforeseen good luck, a powerful diversion by

sea against the English Colonies, or some gross blunders on the part

of the enemy.

The English have 60,000 men, we at most from 10 to 11,000. Our

government is good for nothing; money and provisions will fail.

Through want of provisions, the English will begin first; the farms

scarcely tilled, cattle lack; the Canadians are dispirited; no confidence

in M. de Vaudreuil or in M. Bigot. M. de Vaudreuil is incapable of

preparing a plan of operations.

Everybody appears to be in a hurry to make his fortune before the

Colony is lost, which event many, perhaps, desire, as an impenetrable

veil over their conduct. The craving after wealth has an influence on

the war, and M. de Vaudreuil does not doubt it. Instead of reducing

the expenses of Canada, people wish to retain all; how abandon

positions which serve as a pretext to make private fortunes?

Transportation is distributed to favorites. The agreement with the

contractor is unknown to me as it is to the public. . . .

The enemy can come to Quebec, if we have not a fleet; and Quebec,

once taken, the Colony is lost. Yet there is no precaution. . . .

The general census of Canada has at last been completed. Though it

has not been communicated to me, I think I’m correct, that there are not

more than 82,000 souls in the Colony; of these, twelve thousand, at

most, are men capable of bearing arms; deducting from this number

those employed in works, transports, bateaux, in the Upper countries,

no more than seven thousand Canadians will ever be collected together,

and then it must not be either seed time or harvest, otherwise, by calling

all out, the ground would remain uncultivated; famine would follow.

Our eight battalions will make three thousand two hundred men; the

Colonials, at most, fifteen hundred men in the field. What is that against

at least fifty thousand men which the English have?

302 A Military Perspective During the Seven Years’ War

The Acadian Experience

The British treatment of the Acadians in the eighteenth century stands

as one of the most troublesome events in all of Canadian history.

Numerous documents of the experience attest to the struggles that the

Acadians had with the decision of whether or not to take the oath of

fidelity; others provide accounts of the forced deportation and

subsequent relocation (le grand dérangement) of Acadians to the

American colonies and elsewhere. One such account from John

Baptiste Galerm, an Acadian who was transported to Pennsylvania,

is reprinted below.

“A Relation of the Misfortunes of the French Neutrals, as laid before

the Assembly of the Province of Pennsylvania, by John Baptist

Galerm, one of the said People”

[W]e were summoned to appear before the Governor and Council at

Halifax, where we were required to take the Oath of Allegiance

without any Exception, which we could not comply with because,

as that Government is at present situate, we apprehend that we

should have been obliged to take up Arms; but we are still willing to

take the Oath of Fidelity, and to give the strongest Assurance of

continuing peaceable and faithful to his Britannick Majesty, with that

Exception, But this, in the present Situation of Affairs, not being

satisfactory, we were made Prisoners, and our Estates, both real and

personal, forfeited for the King’s Use; and Vessels being provided, we

were some time after sent off, with most of our Families, and

N.E.S. Griffiths, ed., The Acadian Deportation: Deliberate Perfidy or Cruel

Necessity? (Toronto: Copp Clark, 1969), 150–152.

The Acadian Experience 303

dispersed amongst the English Colonies. The Hurry and Confusion in

which we were embarked was an aggravating Circumstance

attending our Misfortunes; for thereby many, who had lived in

Affluence, found themselves deprived of every Necessary, and many

Families were separated, Parents from Children, and Children from

Parents. Yet blessed be God that it was our Lot to be sent to

Pennsylvania, where our Wants have been relieved, and we have in

every Respect been received with Christian Benevolence and Charity.

And let me add, that notwithstanding the Suspicions and Fears which

many here are possessed of on our Account, as tho’ we were a

dangerous People, who make little Scruple of break-our Oaths. Time

will manifest that we are not such a People: No, the unhappy

situation which we are now in, is a plain Evidence that this is a false

Claim, tending to aggravate the Misfortunes of an already too

unhappy People; for had we entertained such pernicious Sentiments,

we might easily have prevented our falling into the melancholy

Circumstances we are now in, viz: Deprived of our Subsistance,

banished from our native Country, and reduced to live by Charity in a

strange Land; and this for refusing to take an Oath, which we are

firmly persuaded Christianity absolutely forbids us to violate, had we

once taken it, and yet an Oath which we could not comply with

without being exposed to plunge our Swords in the Breasts of our

Friends and Relations. We shall, however, as we have hitherto done,

submit to what in the present Situation of Affairs may seem necessary,

and with Patience and Resignation bear whatever God, in the course

of his Providence, shall suffer to come upon us.

304 The Acadian Experience

One Loyalist’s Perspective

The Loyalists who arrived in British North America were extremely

diverse; they came from all the American colonies, and they

represented virtually every class and ethnic group in America. The

reasons for loyalty to the Crown also varied dramatically, as did

perspectives of a Loyalist ideal and the most suitable course of action

to take in the interest of improving the lives of the thousands who

migrated to the northern colonies of the British empire. Among many

Loyalists who arrived in Nova Scotia, the argument was advanced to

create a separate colony that would reflect the ideals of loyalism.

Some, like Massachusetts-born and Harvard-educated Edward

Winslow, who served in the British forces during the Revolutionary

War, believed that a new loyalist colony of New Brunswick would

become a model of enlightened governance in North America. An

excerpt of his extensive correspondence follows.

I’ll introduce another argument in favour of dividing this province

[Nova Scotia], which (if not of equal weight with others) is of some

consequence. You will I think enter into the spirit of it. A large

proportion of the old inhabitants of this country are natives of New-

England, or descendants from New Englanders, they, from their

situation, never experienced any of the inconveniences which resulted

from the violence of political animosity, they remained quiet during

all the persecutions in the other provinces—they retained a natural

(perhaps laudable) affection for their country. The rebel party were

more industrious, and their doctrines and principles were more

Rev. W.O. Raymond, ed., Winslow Papers, A.D. 1776–1826 (Saint John, NB:

Sun Printing Co., 1901), 192–193.

One Loyalist’s Perspective 305

greedily adopted, than those of the other side, by degrees the Nova-

Scotians became firmly persuaded of the justice of their cause. Of this

complexion are the public officers, generally. On our side the

principal people are men who have served in a military line—irritable

from a series of mortifications—scarcely cooled from the ardor of

resentment—jealous to an extreme, some of ‘ em illiberally so. Either

of these kinds of men may form useful societies among themselves—

but they can’t be mixed—separate them, and this very difference of

opinion will increase the emulation and contribute to the general

good; together—wrangles and contests would be unavoidable.

Lord Sydney’s declaration quoted in your letter, “That he will make

Nova-Scotia the envy of the American States,” has excited a kind of

general gratitude, I cannot describe it. Other ministers and Great men

have by their patronage of new settlers, relieved individuals from

distress, and rendered services to their country, but it is a Godlike task

that Lord Sydney has undertaken. Such an event as the present, never

happened before—perhaps never will happen again. There are

assembled here an immense multitude (not of dissolute vagrants

such as commonly make the first efforts to settle new countries,) but

gentlemen of educations—Farmers, formerly independent—& repu-

table mechanics, who by the fortune of war have been deprived of

their property. They are as firmly attached to the British constitution

as if they never had made a sacrifice. Here they stand with their wives

and their children looking up for protection, and requesting such

regulations as are necessary to the weal of society. To save these from

distress, to soothe and comfort them by extending indulgencies which

at the same time are essentially beneficial to the country at large, is

truly a noble duty. By Heaven we will be the envy of the American

States.

306 One Loyalist’s Perspective