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Essay On British North America

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What defines the word “British” and who are the people who consider themselves to be “British”? These are the questions that arise when one thinks about exactly how “British” the colonies of “British North America” were. In essence, when does North America take on the British identity? It can be posited that the British identity of North America came to be and was most apparent after the Seven Years’ War when Canada was ceded by France to Britain in 1763. In doing so, the colonies of Canada were now under the Crown and hence, the inhabitants (excluding indigenous people) of North America had become British subjects. According to the Treaty of Paris, 1763, British North America would comprise of the “Province of Quebec, Nova Scotia, St John’s Island [Prince Edward Island (PEI)], Newfoundland, the Hudson’s Bay Company territories, and lands belonging directly to the Crown.”
With each of these colonies, there was a range of differing individuals who brought an array of differing cultures to British North America. An example of this is seen through the colony of the Province of Quebec who brought individuals that did not necessarily fit the ideal British identity of an English-speaking protestant. In actuality, the vast majority of people …show more content…

More specifically, men were the only ones who had full rights and most privileges. For instance, a woman from British North America may consider herself to be a British subject or citizen, but this still did not give her the right to vote. Therefore, it appears that living the “British” identity in British North America may not grant someone everything they hoped for. In actuality, with these regulations in place, it can be posited that Aboriginal women had the least to gain in becoming British subjects. Be becoming enfranchised, they not only gave up their status, but they also were not given the same rights as

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