Friday, May 1, 2015

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Revolution

The first day of each month is a theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers, and for May, that theme is Revolution, courtesy of Chrissy Brand at Mancunian Wave. You can find out how other photobloggers are interpreting this theme here.

I decided on the American Revolution for this theme day. The Revolutionary War certainly had an impact in Canadian history. American forces under Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold (yes, that Benedict Arnold) invaded Quebec in 1775, meeting defeat in the Battle of Quebec and being driven out by British forces under General Guy Carleton. After the war, many Americans still feeling loyal to Britain came north, settling in Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes, so the Revolution greatly influenced the development of our nation.


The group of statues and busts known as The Valiants can be found near the War Memorial downtown, gathered along Plaza Bridge. These are figures of Canadian military history, and one of them played a part in the American Revolution. Lieutenant Colonel John Butler was born in Connecticut in 1728, felt his loyalties were to Britain and the crown, and spent the Revolution with a force of irregulars called Butler's Rangers, making life difficult for American forces during the war. He retired to the Niagara peninsula in Ontario after the war, and is buried in Niagara-On-The-Lake. His bust stands here among the Valiants, with the Chateau Laurier in the background.


55 comments:

  1. My war hero can beat your war hero...

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  2. Nice bit of history there William

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  3. Interesting history lesson, all too rare to hear from those who were on the "other side"!

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  4. Hmm, we never learned this part of our history in school in Chicago.
    Thanks for the lesson. Better late than never.

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  5. I still can't get why they call revolution a war of independence, but it is their thing after all, and I really like this bust!

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  6. Oh, now those are fightin' words if I ever read any. Time to take Quebec back. Raise the banner, boys and C-H-A-R-G-E!! :-)

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  7. Another history lesson, William !
    Good choice for this theme !

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  8. I'm always amazed by the transborder crossings, and the Americans who settled here and vice versa!

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  9. I can see you really like studying history....as do I now that I'm a bit older.

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  10. Looks like a swashbuckler! Go rangers.

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  11. @Whisk: busts are usually heads and shoulders. More of the Valiants are busts, though several are full statues.

    @Linda: well, we got back at you in 1812!

    @Peter: he did a whole lot over the Revolution, and considering his birthdate, he wasn't that young when it all started.

    @Bill: thanks!

    @Merisi: it's a war that very much shaped our future as a country as well, just as the American Civil War later did, though even here it's not taught as much as it should.

    @Dina: this is a side to the Revolution that really isn't taught much anywhere. You do have to dig.

    @VP: Americans have differing names for some wars, the Civil War in particular.

    @Revrunner: Quebec is a pretty hard place to take, as old Benny learned the hard way. I often wonder if Arnold had died during the Quebec campaign or at Saratoga, would he be remembered today as a great hero instead of a villain.

    @Karl: thank you!

    @Jennifer: it's such a strong influence in what made this country what it is today.

    @Tex: aww, we get along quite well these days.

    @Gill: thank you!

    @Linda: History fascinates me on many levels.

    @Peter: he certainly does!

    @Luis: thank you!

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    1. I still don't get why? I miss seeing the arms. I like arms. They're useful tools.

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  12. Good post for the day, William!

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  13. A good history lesson here!

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  14. History is always so interesting! Just think: Canada could have been another state had Montgomery and Arnold succeeded!

    Bet you're wiping your brow and going, "Whew! What luck!"

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  15. Super composition William with the other 'Valiants' there in the background.

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  16. Nice bit of history in this post, thanks for that. I enjoyed the photos. I've been to Niagara on the Lake and hope to go back again one day. I'll have to check out Butler's Grave as have always had an interest in that part of history.

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  17. I like your historical perspective on the theme.

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  18. I like the background of buildings in your first photo! :)

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  19. @RedPat: thanks!

    @Judy: thank you.

    @Cheryl: we lucked out there!

    @Grace: it's quite an innovative set of sculptures, the Valiants as a whole.

    @Denise: that town may be the most beautiful small town in this country, and it's certainly the most haunted.

    @Sharon: thank you!

    @Linda: thanks! I never get tired of photographing the Chateau.

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  20. These were watershed moments. It the results had been different, there would probably be no Canada.

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  21. Interesting posting, and a great choice for todays theme day image.
    Our dog, - a black Labrador Retriever is actually born in Canada.
    We got her from the owners. They moved to Norway, but came from Vancouver.

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  22. Nice shots and a great piece of history.

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  23. A war that set the future for nations. That suits me just fine.

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  24. I wonder if there will ever be peace in the world, with no more wars?

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  25. That conflict certainly had a profound and last effect on both nations!

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  26. Nice choice for the theme and very interesting history too!

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  27. "The Valiants" sounds so dignified.

    Janis
    GDP

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  28. Great selection and great post. As an American, it was informative reading about our Revolution from the Canadian perspective.

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  29. (I may have learned it long ago but) I was surprised to read recently that there had been military action in Canada during "our" revolution. And I'm embarrassed to admit it never occurred to me that Canada would be a logical place for loyalists to resettle. Thanks for a new perspective on our shared history.

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  30. Wonderful post and photo.
    I adore they beautiful buildings your have in your area.
    Sorry I so late just catching up with everyone.
    By the way my Japanese family is in Vancouver right now visiting a family friend of Yuko.
    Not that this has anything to do with your post.

    cheers, parsnip

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  31. I really enjoyed that slice of history William.

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  32. speculator monument I really like the background too

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  33. Funny that we both went with the American Revolution for Theme Day! Good history lesson -- I wasn't familiar with Col. Butler. He certainly must have made a significant impact on the community to have such a nice bust of him on display in such a notable area.

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  34. @Red: there wouldn't have been. Quebec City at that time was considered to be the key to the continent. Take the city, you could control vast majorities of the continent.

    @Gunn: thank you!

    @Tanya: thanks!

    @Jan: it seemed a good choice for the theme. I had an alternate idea, but as it turns out, someone else went with a statue of the same man in another post.

    @Andy: the influences of the Revolution and the Civil War loom very large in our national story, and these are not really brought up often in history classes.

    @Christopher: probably only if there were no more humans. We are a destructive lot.

    @Geoff: thank you.

    @Kate: it's very much a defining aspect of both countries.

    @Lois: thank you!

    @Wong: thanks!

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  35. @Janis: it really is.

    @Randy: thanks!

    @Jack: military history fascinates me, so going from this point of view seemed right.

    @Kay: it's not often mentioned, aside from perhaps the Saratoga and Ticonderoga campaigns. It was barely mentioned in high school classes about American history.

    @Parsnip: thank you!

    @Chrissy: thanks!

    @Jen: it's a wonderful monument concept. It had been awhile since I last photographed it.

    @Jim: thanks!

    @EG: thank you.

    @SRQ: and Janis at Greensboro Daily Photo also took on the American Revolution for this theme.

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  36. How little the younger generation seem to know about those times - so many details glossed over.

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  37. Strange. When I first saw the bust, I thought of the French, Napoleon military uniform and the bicorn - 2 cornered hat. The grim expression on the face certainly suggests some serious business.

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  38. I remember a lot of this from a fellow author who confided I had had the inspiration for one of her characters, a young widow who helped a prisoner escape across the boder into Canada....

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  39. Hello William here at No. 52 in your comments list :). Still I'm sure you'll see this.

    I am really partial to the historic spin on 'revolution'. Pleased to learn a little about Lt. Butler.

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  40. Great choice for the theme. Funny how events are seen in a multitude of ways by different people.

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  41. @Gerald: that's true.

    @Shelly: thank you.

    @Gemma: he must have been quite a character.

    @Norma: inspiration comes from a lot of places.

    @Lauren: thanks!

    @Halcyon: that's true.

    @Merisi: it is, yes.

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