 Yesterday, someone asked me, “What’s the difference between an American and a Canadian?” TL;DR: The American Revolution. There were British colonies in North America that didn’t want to join the USA. Not only did they not want to join, they violently resisted joining during multiple American invasions. Those colonies eventually became Canada. And to this day, Canada is a monarchy. 30 comments
Sometimes I read these alternative history novels with the premise of “What if the USA lost the American Revolution?” The plot is always super dystopian. Meanwhile, I’m thinking, “I know what would happen if the USA lost the American Revolution: they’d be Canada.”  @atomicpoet mmm … how much is the history of Canada a response to the US’s victory in the revolutionary war? I’m sure Britain’s treatment of the colonies there was informed by the risks of losing more colonies.  @atomicpoet I don't think Canada would be Canada with so many Americans. We don't have the same history with slavery, the Spanish, etc. The war also seemed to separate the "you can't make us, we'll point our guns" crowd. Every time there has been a war, more of them have moved up here. I have friends who were part of Vietnam, Bush, and Spanky exoduses. Which doesn't mean that the British didn't really suck. But we just did things differently here. @CStamp @atomicpoet I’m not saying the USA would be exactly like Canada now. But it would more or less resemble Canada. @atomicpoet Maybe. There are bigger differences than monarchy vs democratic republic, though, and the cotton plantations and slave workers made a huge imprint on the US.  @atomicpoet Of course, Britain ended slavery relatively early compared to other nations of the period. It would be really interesting to ponder a U.S. where slavery was quietly ended in 1807. It’s also funny how the American Revolution and its impact on Canada is often glossed over in Canadian schools. We spent more time on the Seven Years War and the War of 1812 than the American Revolution. @atomicpoet The only real parts of the US Revolution I remember on the curriculum in Nova Scotia was with respect to the United Empire Loyalists coming to what is now Canada, but even that was treated very superficially. And certainly no mention of the Battle of Quebec.  @atomicpoet Why would they? It’s not their history or central to their national mythology. States don’t spend much time on the Mexican Revolution. Texas touches on it, but only in relation to Texas.  @atomicpoet In Ontario, we didn't get one word on the War of 1812. To your point, we also didn't get a single word about the American Revolution either. We covered the Seven Years War in what... five, maybe six different grade levels? @atomicpoet Socialist/Communist/Secular Humanist/Frenchlike Monarchy. Fixed it for you! @atomicpoet  @atomicpoet I think you’re probably right. The entire continent north of Mexico May have been Canada. As you implied the biggest influence I think is Parliamentary Democracy. That said, I think Canada was more homogenous religiously, with Protestant in English Canada and Catholic French. America had Quakers, Protestants, Mormons, Catholics. But the biggest influence would have been Spanish. It may have all ended up being “British America” but lots of opportunity for divergence.  There's an argument that one of the motivations for the US to rebel was they were getting worried that Britain was going to ban or limiting slavery. If that's true America winning the revolutionary war is the dystopia.  @atomicpoet maybe in an alternate history, where the whole thing didn't get done badly from the start, the American revolution never had to happen at all & things went so swimmingly that the monarchy moved themselves over here, and subsequently locked itself into a foreverwar with Eurasia.  @atomicpoet and have a stable democracy, universal healthcare, and so much else that we don't have today. Can we go back in time and throw the war? :) @atomicpoet Hopefully, the US would be confined to the eastern sea board, and the native nations would occupy most of NA.  @atomicpoet <smooths out his Calgary Flames jersey> ok bud. Thats a very gross oversimplification of how we got to here. I'd throw some Alan Taylor books at you but thats not the point. Yeah the old bat is still on our money, we'll get around to that eventually. But the crown hasn't had any relevance outside of stodgy traditions and goofy wigs in court since Pierre Sr. patriated the Const. in 1982. But apart from origin story, what's your difference between an American and Canadian NOW? @tezoatlipoca @atomicpoet Actually, the Governor General and Lieutenant General(S) have exercised power multiple times during our lifetime. One example is in 2008 when a coalition of Liberals, NDP, and Bloc Québécois tried to create a governing coalition. The Governor General prorogued Parliament. But of course, there’s hundreds of years of history that I didn’t mention in my initial post. Hence, “TL;DR”. @atomicpoet Sure, but in that case and the 2 cases before it, the GG is simply the tie-breaker/decider of protocol for when the legislature is in a situation to which there are no clearly defined rules of protocol. Yeah, the role is granted authority by the crown, but its not like Liz had anything to do with it. Its a bit like the Congressional Parliamentarian - it too is an appointed position, they interpret the vague rulebook written by the crusty old dudes 300 yrs ago when situations arise. @tezoatlipoca @atomicpoet Sure, because we’re in a CONSTITUTIONAL monarchy. And certain positions of power (like GG) are beyond the authority of parliament. The term “Crown” is such for a reason. @atomicpoet And yet, they preserved French and promote multiculturalism some significant notches more than US ever did. @cydonian @atomicpoet One reason Quebec didn’t want to join the American Revolution is because they didn’t think Québécois culture would be preserved.  @atomicpoet I’ve heard one difference is that the United States was created by an act of war, and Canada was created by an act of Parliament. Canadians have a trust of government, and therefore an expectation for government to do better that Americans just don’t have. And thus we’ve entrusted government with insuring our health, managing a modicum of retirement savings, housing the poor, etc. @atomicpoet Another big difference we rarely talk about is evangelicalism. There are only pockets of it in Canada, but those churches have outsized influence in the US government and society. The Mayflower was an escape from British *moderation*. By and large Canada is Protestant, Catholic, or non-religious. And our growing immigrant population tends to be moderate representatives of their cultures. |
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@atomicpoet But we’re slightly embarrassed about it.