A Path Forward

The second of the three galleries inside Canada Hall concerns itself with the period following the end of the French and Indian War, up to 1914. This particular area deals with everyday life, and so we see tools, furnishings, and other items.

The First Nations experience remains tightly woven into the museum's narrative, and so artifacts are found here throughout. This is an Anishinaabe bag from the mid-19th century depicting a water serpent called Mishibizhiw.

Carrying on, we find items like a sleigh and a bank crest for the Molsons Bank, which operated out of Montreal.

Different sports: cricket, lacrosse, and curling, all represented here by pieces of equipment. Lacrosse is something that comes from the First Nations, having had been played from time immemorial by tribes of the eastern woodlands and some areas of the great plains.

This coat of arms once hung in the Vieux Palais de Justice in Montreal. It dates to the mid-19th century.

Unrest in the Canadian colonies had led to rebellions in the 1830s. Ultimately out of that would come a movement towards responsible government. Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine were moderate reformers and partners as premiers, smoothing the way for what would become Canadian Confederation.