THE EVOLUTION OF CANADIAN AND FRENCH CANADIAN
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The Evolution Of Canadian And French Canadian
Geographically, Canada is the second-largest country after Russia in the world. Despite the large geographical area, it sparsely populated due to the few numbers of Canadians and landscape grandeur. It is a multicultural country because of the number of immigrants from other continents who are always welcomed. Additionally, there is an intellectual capacity and a lot of wealthy resources that are exported, which is not common in most countries. Officially, the country is bilingual in French and English; this shows that the great powers of Europe once contested it. The name Canada came from Jacques Cartier, a French explorer who visited the country in the 16th Century and named the area which is now referred to as Quebec City. New French was used as a synonym to Canada between the years 1763 and 1534 when they were dominating the areas along great lakes and river St. Lawrence. British attacked New French, recovering the name Quebec which was used alternatively with Canada until 1791 when the name Canada was fully restored (Morton. et al., 2020). It happened when the old Quebec was divided into lower and upper Canada by Britain. In 1867, the Act of American British North divided Canada colony into two different provinces, that is Quebec and Ontario. Although this allowed Canada to rule itself, issues about international diplomacy were solely handled by the Britons. In 1931, the colony was utterly self-governing under the authority of the British Empire until 1982, when they had the liberty to amend their constitution. The current Canadian society that is English speaking resembles that of Britons in formal and legal aspects. On the other hand, the Quebec part has French adaptations (Morton. et al., 2020). The differences are reflected in architecture, schooling, and religion. Other inhabitants of the country are the Indians, who are the natives of the nation and immigrants from Latin America, European countries, and Southeast Asia. The country is multicultural, though the denominating cultures are French and English. The differences between the two are discussed in the following paragraphs.
According to Lord Durham’s assessment, Canada was a single state that two nations were fighting to dominate, leading to a division of English-Canadian and French-Canadian communities. These two communities tried to dominate each other, which turned into rebellion between the years 1837 and 1838 when the British military suppressed the fight. The Anglophone-Francophone relationship in Canada changed the political, ideological, and social-economic aspects of Canada. Although France was the first country to dominate Canada, they for part of the minority communities now. Since the year 1900, there was a decline to 24% due to decreased immigration of Francophone and reduced birth rates that could not keep up with the replacement. The consequence was Quebecois feeling threatened by their counterpart English-speaking community that made up 35% of the minority group of the Montreal metropolitan. The relationship between the two communities continued to be strained each time the political and intellectual elites from either community tried diverging the political and social goals. With the increase in disagreements between the two groups, the French communities participated more in imperial schemes such as political, military, and economic being led by Bourassa Henri. The clash reached its climax in the year 1917 when there was a distinctive political division along the ethnic lines.
The division had a significant impact on the relationship that affected the political elites from both communities. It was devastating for Bourassa, whose goal was to achieve bicultural and bilingual country through his party Federal Conservation. There was an increased competition between the popular French commercials and the American and English conglomerates. It disadvantaged the French communities calling for a reaction from them to advocate for political and social-economic reforms. The measures were purposed to give the French Canadians middle-class power to control the development and economy of Quebec. The French Canadians experienced their fall in 1940, which led to intensified demand for English-Canada parts. The Prime Minister hoped to lead the Canadians and free them of the oversea services, which was a threat to the French movements. They called upon all their motions in defense against the conscription and won by 80% votes against the English Canadians who voted yes; for the second time, there was a division between bicultural and bilingual communities.
The rules established in 1867 steered the relationship between Francophone and Anglophone. However, they weathered between 1975 and 1945 as a result of many factors. The main factor was the postwar decision made by Ottawa that argued the need for full control from the Federal government overall direct taxation that would ensure the development is stable. Additionally, it would take charge of the cost of programs such as family insurance, medical insurance, employment, and old-pension schemes. However, the proposal was not the best solution, the delays for counter-proposals acceptance. Analysis of the Canadian Federalism evolution differs depending on the point of the study. From the francophone perspective, the federation was betrayed by other governments that came to interfere with the jurisdiction in efforts to centralize power. On the other hand, from the Anglophone perspective, the attempt by other government was for the good of the nation. It would help the country have a central point for managing diversity hence reduce the tension among the minority groups.
Canada’s dual nationality is well-known, stamped on every currency, and respected by the law. According to the supreme court of law, both languages stand on par and are equally national languages. All motions, debates, and public publications have to be done in the official languages in Quebec but not other provinces; however, the French demand for equal rights in other territories too. One of the critical differences resulting from the two communities is religion. The Roman Catholic religion is dominated by the French population (Behiels, 2007). The belief is supported by tithe, which is a tax levied against the protested in exchange for English schools supported by the fee. The Anglophones did not want their children to attend Roman Catholic French schools, hence their request for support. It brought about division in the schooling systems between the English and French-Canadian communities.
One of the key differences between French and English Canada is the culture. The cultural differences are the language spoken. The two main languages spoken are Canadian French and English. English is the dominating language spoken by around 58% of the population, while Canadian French is spoken only by 22% of the community. The first language in Canada is Quebecois French. This is because the French people were the first to get the colony and dominated it in the nineteenth century before the Britons took over domination. The dominating language in Quebec is French; however, English is taught in schools. Most people in the province communicate in French, mostly (Santa, 2016). The dominance of French in Quebec is because French communities occupied Quebec during the division. Another cultural difference is the food consumed by the two groups. Generally, the most commonly consumed foods in Canada are cheese, potatoes, and meat. Poutine is the most common dish in Quebec consumed mainly by the English Canadians, while baked foods and pastries are more common among the French community. The difference in culture despite being from the same country is due to the origin of the two groups. The French-Canadians are linked to France’s history while the English-Canadians are connected to the United Kingdom.
Quebecois nationalism affirms that the people from Quebec province are different from the other Canadians, and it enhances unity among the Quebec people. Initially, it was known as Nationalism of the French Canadians until after the quiet revolution when Quebecois people replaced French Canadians. French Canadians are people that were given birth in Canada, but their parents have French roots. In the 1950s, the Quebec people realized the need for tracing and assimilating their sources. At the moment, it meant resuming to the French-Canadian deeply rooted in Roman Catholicism. Both the church and the nation were connected deeply, such that the church would influence legislative issues of the Nation (Behiels, 1985). The Quebec people wanted to go back to their roots, remain conserved, and have no external influence. They were not receptive to practical ideas, including new careers that were sprouting up due to technological advancement. The only jobs they deemed right based on beliefs were agricultural jobs. They lack behind from the urbanization that was brought about by the Westernized societies. Their lack of development was attributed to Maurice Duplessis, the principle of the province at the time.
Duplessis had won the election in 1944, which earned him an additional fifteen years in power, defining the French-Canadian nationalism. They continued upholding their values and way of doing things with only a few adjustments deemed relevant. The union party created some division among the people; people who wanted to remain conserved supported it while those who wished to progress were against the union. His approach was to transform the province through faster and more significant developments. Urbanization and rapid industrialization would result from their natural resources. The English-Canadians in Quebec province were not supportive of Duplessis’s idea; they hoped that the outdated French society would be eradicated (Kwavnick,1977). His approach brought about some industrial changes in the province, creating new social, economic opportunities for the people. It helped in bringing social and economic stability at the expense of their culture. The ancient nationalism (conservation) ended with the death of Duplessis in 1959, and a new era began in 1960 with a new Quebec leader.
The 1960s was the era of a quiet revolution; there was a complete shift of nationalism when Lesage Jean was elected as the new leader. The period came with a lot of changes and enlightenment—the changes revolved around values, economy, and society. There were cultural changes, radical thinking, and ideologies that emerged from dormancy. The church and state were separated such that the church did not have any influence on the State’s affairs. They both acted as independent entities. The era of the Quiet Revolution meant so much for the Quebeckers, both French and English, who were very happy with the phase-out of Duplessis Conservation union that had suppressed the political, social, and economic aspects of Quebec province (Igartua, 2011). It gathered so much momentum leading to changes in Social welfare, hydro-electricity, hospitalization, regional development, education, and involvement in industrialization. They set self-rules to govern the people with authority from Jean. It liberated the Francophone people who had been oppressed by English Canadians. Both communities had equal chances and opportunities for development. It went on until the year 1982 when the Canadians gained full authority hence becoming independent. The country is now occupied by people from different parts of the world, making it multicultural.
In conclusion, the Canadian revolution dates back to the 17th century when French people became the first colony. They dominated the country, making French-Canadians the dominating community until the early 20th century when English Canadians entirely overtook them. By 1930, both French and English Canadians formed the minority groups in Canada, although English had more dominance. Ancient nationalism continued in this era with leadership from Duplessis until 1959 when he died, and the new age of quiet revolution began in 1960 with governance from Jean. This era was liberating to the Quebec people, bringing about changes and development. The province gained full independence in 1982. Due to evolution, Canada is a multicultural country with French and English as the two official languages. The French Canadians dominate some territories, while English Canadians dominate others. Despite being in the same region, the two communities have some differences in their cultural and religious beliefs.
References
Behiels, M. D. (1985). Prelude to Quebec’s Quiet Revolution: Liberalism vs. Neo-Nationalism, 1945-60. McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
Behiels, M. D. (2007, February 7). Francophone-Anglophone Relations. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/francophone-anglophone-relations
Igartua, J. E. (2011). The other quiet revolution: National identities in English Canada, 1945-71. UBC Press.
Kwavnick, D. (1977). Québécois Nationalism and Canada’s National Interest. Journal of Canadian Studies, 12(3), 53-68.
Morton, W. L., Nicholson, N. L., Bercuson, D. J., Hall, R. D., & Krueger, R. R. (2020, March 31). Canada. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada
Santa Fe Relocation (2016, March 17). Canadian Culture – Is there a difference between English and French Canada? Retrieved from https://www.santaferelo.com/en/moving/news-and-blog/canadian-culture-is-there-a-difference-between-english-and-french-canada/