Prompt Cast
Why Canada Didn't Join the American Revolution: A Complex History of Colonization and Cultural Differences
TLDR Canada's decision not to join the American Revolution was influenced by its history of colonization by the English, the impact of the Seven Year War, cultural differences between French-speaking and English-speaking settlers, geographic separation, lack of historical ties, and the influx of loyal colonists.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
Canada didn't join the American Revolution because of its history of colonization by the English and the impact of the Seven Year War.
01:57
Before the Seven Years War, there wasn't much of a British presence in what is today Canada, and the British colonies in North America were already well established by the time the war started.
03:42
The province of Quebec, which included parts of modern-day Canada and the Great Lakes region, was mostly French-speaking and Catholic, and the American colonists, who were mostly English-speaking and Protestant, distrusted the French and Catholics, which is why Canada didn't join the American Revolution.
05:21
The Quebec Act of 1774 gave French-speaking settlers in Quebec autonomy and preserved their rights and traditions, making them uninterested in joining the American Revolution, and the Americans' failed attempts to convince Quebec to join further solidified their decision.
07:05
Nova Scotia, despite being an English-speaking colony, did not join the revolution due to its geographic separation, lack of historical ties, and the fact that many of its settlers came directly from Britain.
08:48
There was some support for the American Revolution in Nova Scotia, but it wasn't strong enough to gain widespread support or convince George Washington to invade the colony.
10:25
The influx of loyal colonists to Nova Scotia and the creation of new colonies in Canada solidified its separation from the United States and laid the groundwork for the future war of 1812, making the answer to why Canada didn't join the American Revolution more complex than just loyalty.
