The Country Finds Its Own Path

Carrying on where I left off, this beautiful sleigh is the Cabriolet sleigh, exhibited in London in 1851, and typical of a homegrown industry in the Canadian colonies in making such items.

Also in Montreal, until it transferred to Ottawa later in the century, was the Geological Survey of Canada, doing field work and scientific work. Its public museum is the predecessor of the national museums of the country, seven of which are in the national capital region.

The GSC was led by William Logan, whose mission of documentation, mapping, and learning as much as possible about the country was carried out by the agency. Logan was decorated internationally and earned a knighthood for his work. Canada's highest mountain is named in his honour.

Here we have a crest of the developing country before it was a country.

The 1830s saw rebellions in the Canadas. The response was to forge one legislative entity out of Upper and Lower Canada- today's Ontario and Quebec. An ill-thought out idea, but it brought together two men as co-premiers whose work did much to pave the way for Confederation.

They were Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, and they advocated for responsible government with controls over their own affairs. This enraged the Tory opposition, but won the support of the British governor-general, Lord Elgin.

This is a bust of Lord Elgin.

The country such as it was at the time is seen here. Rupert's Land, to the north and west, was effectively the place of the Hudson's Bay Company and the many indigenous tribes.

Confederation was coming. The work of Baldwin and Lafontaine would pay off what would end up becoming Canada as we know it today.

Architecture And Monuments

 Here along the path we have a good view of the Library of Parliament. In the foreground behind the fence is the statue of John A. Macdonald, the country's first prime minister.

A look out across the river at Gatineau.

Here along the path we also have this old bell, preserved for posterity. This bell was in the original Centre Block, which was destroyed by fire in 1916. 

Plaques in English and French tell its story.

I have dearly missed walking this path with its wonderful views. The National Gallery and Notre Dame can be seen off in the distance.

A detail shot of the Library of Parliament.

We have the first signs of spring on the bushes on the other side of the fence.

Another monument- this to Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, the co-premiers of the United Canadas, a colonial legislature consisting of what's today Ontario and Quebec, which was in place for a number of years in the first part of the 19th century. Their work towards responsible government paved the path for Canadian Confederation.

A sundial, restored a century ago and on this spot. Parliament Hill was once called Barrack's Hill, and soldiers lived here before Ottawa was selected as the capital. Colonel John By, who led the building of the Rideau Canal, had one erected.

Across the gap, where the Canal itself is, lies Major's Hill Park. A statue of the Colonel himself can be seen there near the cliff's edge.

Multiple signs around the fence go into detail on the ongoing work on the Hill. This one is actually outdated- the West Block was the first section to be rehabilitated, and is now where the House of Commons is sitting. But the process of work is accurate for all of the project.

The slope here is a steep one, with the trees waiting to wake up and leaf out.

Momentous Change

 This elegant sleigh is displayed here in the Museum.

The Geological Survey of Canada was founded in Montreal in 1842, eventually moving to Ottawa, where it continues today as a government organization. This octant was given to its first director William Logan, who led its work in its first decades, a scientific enterprise dedicated to fieldwork and discovery.

A portrait of Logan himself is here. His leadership did much to advance knowledge and research in the country, leaving a big legacy behind. He was knighted for his efforts, and today the country's highest mountain is named in his honour.

The seven national museums in the national capital area (with two more in other parts of the country) find their roots in the organization, which ran a public museum at its headquarters during those early years. 

Rebellions in the Canadian colonies rose up in the 1830s. Out of that period came changes in colonial legislatures- Upper and Lower Canada were united into one, for instance. And from that came leadership that would begin paving the way to Canadian Confederation through the idea of responsible government.

The long reign of Queen Victoria loomed over this period of change.

The United Canadas were led by co-premiers. Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine were partners in that endeavour, making good use of responsible government to enact changes, even if their Tory rivals weren't all that happy about it.

Lord Elgin, the governor-general at the time, supported them. Their partnership would set the stage for the Fathers of Confederation in the 1860s to establish the country.

Many factors went into Confederation, but as it came about, it united the colonies into becoming a country.

One of the influences was south of the border, where North and South fought each other through the bloodshed of the Civil War. Canadian leaders in the Canadas and the Atlantic colonies watched the chaos and learned lessons- the American example was to be avoided. And they learned the need for unity, as Secretary of State William Seward mused on more than one occasion about invading Canada. 

Though the British and colonial governments were officially neutral during that war, anywhere from 20 000 to 50 000 Canadians went south to fight in the war, overwhelmingly for the Union. In its wake, Union veterans of Irish background would launch the Fenian Raids- an attempt to take Canada hostage to force the British to grant Irish independence. Each time, they were driven out.

This is the Union coat of a Civil War soldier- most veterans simply wore their uniform. The Raids continued until the Treaty of Washington, which established terms for friendly relationships between the Canadians and British on the one side and the Americans on the other.

A quote seen here from one of the Fathers of Confederation, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, during the Civil War. He would prove to be the most eloquent voice for Confederation.

Towards Responsible Government

It was time to switch out to a fall header. Yesterday I added one taken last year during a walk along the Ottawa River towards Parliament Hill.

This quote from Lord Durham is on a wall in the Museum of History, near where I left off yesterday.

Two figures rose out of the new colonial legislature to lead it together, men who laid the groundwork for Confederation: Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine. Their initiatives towards responsible government and moving forward were fully supported by a successor to Durham as governor-general, Lord Elgin.

This is a bust of Lord Elgin.

In the years that followed, colonial leaders in the various Canadian colonies continued their own efforts. The 1860s would give rise to Confederation. This large area begins to explore the era in detail.

One of the factors driving Confederation was the situation south of the border with the bloodshed of the American Civil War. It emphasized the need for a strong central government. The American Secretary of State, William Seward, mused on more than one occasion about annexing Canada, all while his country was at war with itself. Irish-American veterans of that war would launch what were called the Fenian Raids after the war in an attempt to hold Canada for ransom and force Britain to grant independence to Ireland. The raids were thwarted each time.

This medal was given in honour of service during the Fenian Raids.

A rifle taken from one of the raiders is on display, along with a U.S. service coat and trousers of the Civil War era. Many of the Fenian Raiders simply wore their Union uniforms during the time of the Raids.

I leave off with this for today, giving a sense of politics in the Canadian colonies during this era. I'll be back to this after the start of the month, but interrupting this series for the next couple of days.

Making A Country

This area includes more of the everyday objects and tools being used by settlers in the first part of the 19th century throughout what is today eastern Canada.

Rebellions in the 1830s would ultimately rise to the idea of responsible government and Confederation.

Among the artifacts here is the crest of the old Molsons Bank and the Cabriolet Sleigh, which was featured in the Canadian Pavilion at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. 

Recreation could be found in the colonies at the time, particularly in urban centres. Cricket, curling, and lacrosse are represented here. The last of those three was a game that had a long history here before the arrival of white people; First Nations peoples had been playing it long before then.

The drive towards responsible government that came out of the rebellions found its strongest voices in a partnership of English and French speaking leaders, Robert Baldwin and Louis Hippolyte LaFontaine, who would share leadership of the united Upper and Lower Canadas.