Quebecs Struggles for a Distinct Society & Fr-Can Natnalsm essays

Quebec's Struggles for a Distinct Society & Fr-Can Natnalsm essays Quebec has always been trying to maintain it's cultural identity. I this essay, I will try to outline the reasons why has this always been the case, and its direct link to French-Canadian nationalism. The path that leads to separatism is a long and winding one. The French saw Confederation as the only solution in 1867. They needed Confederation so they can remain in control of their own language, religion and a way of life. The paradox of the situation was that they also fully understood they would always be the minority in Canada and that as more regions joined Confederation, the situation would only get worse. This was however, preferable to a slow assimilation by the English, since now they could have laws passed that could protect their society. As a minority in a country, Quebec's point of view was often disregarded in favour of the English-speaking majority. The first example of this could be seen from the way the Riel rebellions were handled. In 1885, what became known as the Saskatchewan Rebellion took place. This was led by Louis Riel who went to Batoche to once more set-up a provisional government and prepare the Metis for battle to protect their homes. The revolution was crushed, Louis Riel arrested and taken to Regina for a trial. Disregarding the jury's express recommendation of mercy, on November 16th 1885, Riel was hung for treason. The execution was in direct response to political pressures from English speaking Canadians. To the French, it seemed Riel was hung because he was French and he was fighting to protect the interests of French people. Also in the 1880's, the Manitoba School Question became another issue of contention for the French speaking Canadians. In the 1880's, the population of Manitoba became a majority of English speaking people, and so, the Manitoba government abolished the separate (catholic) school system. Though only a minority, the French people still had considerable numbers in Manitoba and ...