A Summary Of The British Colonization Of Canada

800 Words4 Pages
T. S. Eliot, an essayist, once said, “The historical sense involves a perception, not only of the pastness of the past, but of its presence” (“Four Quartets by Eliot”). The British have colonized Canada from 1763 to 1867, which greatly impacted the lives of both populations. During this period of colonization, it sparked various unique personal experiences and perspectives for the Canadians and British. With that context, how do differing perspectives help us to understand the British colonization of Canada? Differing perspectives allow one to perceive multiple sides of the historical event which can be used along with evidence to determine what truly happened in the past. The research question will be answered by exploring and analyzing the First Nations’ and the British traders’ perspectives. The analysis will prove that different perspectives can help one understand the past.
The First Nations were a group of Aboriginal Canadians that lived in Ontario and British Columbia during the British colonization. Upon the British arrival in 1763, the First Nations’ lives have changed drastically. The First Nations were treated as the “savages at the bottom of human society” (LaRocque). Their land was taken away by the British, consequently affecting the traditional hunting methods among the First Nation people. They had to rely upon lousy food provided by the British, thereby leading to various intestinal diseases. Their lands were all destroyed by the British through overgrazing