Canada Cultural Identity

Canada was inhabited by the Vikings first in the year 100AD. The Vikings as usual didn’t stay and left the Americas. Later in the 1500s and 1600s were taken over by the English and French. The French established many cities and the most important were Quebec and Montreal. They ruled the area “New France” for about 230 years.

In the early 1760’s, the tension between the people in Boston and the British soldiers started to grow until in early 1770, when the two groups reached their breaking point. On March 5, 1770, a group of men started intimidating a British soldier; he soon called for assistance but eventually the crowd had grown to practically one hundred people. Captain Thomas Preston and seven other soldiers arrived, trying to calm the situation down, but to no avail. A soldier fired into the crowd followed by the other soldiers firing soon after, resulting in five people being killed. Captain Thomas Preston happened to be arrested and charged with murder.

The Battle at Bunker Hill, which occurred on June 17, 1775, lasted no more than two hours, yet it was one of the bloodiest and most important battles of the American Revolution. Despite being defeated by the British, American forces held their own, wounding or killing nearly half of the Redcoats who fought in the battle. The Americans had significantly less soldiers than the British and were running low on ammunition by the end of the battle. However, the Battle at Bunker Hill is significant to the American Revolution because it gave Americans the confidence they needed to continue fighting, eventually winning the revolution, and made the British realize that American forces were stronger than they had originally assumed. During the Autumn and Winter of 1774 tensions between the British and American forces grew.

In the lyrics “The Seafarer,” “The Wanderer,” and “The Wife’s Lament,” exile was one of many causes of the Anglo-Saxon anxiety. Anglo-Saxon’s lived on an island where it was often cold and wintery. The towns on the island were often large to help with safety, this is why exile was of great concern back then. Whether the exile was being self imposed or enforced by a greater character, life on their own was a scary thought. In the lyrics “The Seafarer,” “The Wanderer,” and “The Wife’s Lament,” an individual was removed from their homeland or normal lives and forced to live somewhere else.

(August 3, 1492) Christopher Columbus left Palos, Spain with three ships, Santa Maria, the Pinta, and the Nina, He sailed to an island in the Bahamas arriving on October 12. In March 1493, he returned and was received with the highest honors by the Spanish court. This was important because he went back to Spain harboring both gold and spices. As well as “Indian” captives. (1512)

As mentioned I 've been exposed to diversity from a young age. I 've moved with family across Canada twice, from poverty stricken to affluent areas. From towns where you could leave doors unlocked to city blocks where gunshots a few streets over are your lullyby. Family still live outside the Oka reserve in Quebec and I 've French-Canadian relatives in New Brunswick. While through my friends, neighbors, family and the people I 've worked with I 've had interactions with people from all around the world, from different educational and cultural backgrounds, social standings, religious and sexual orientations.

The Island archetype throughout literature I was listening to my friend talking about a TV show called Prison Break. I listened to her unenthusiastic voice talk about how sour frowns cover men’s faces as if they were waiting for death. I’ve never been to a jail before, so I was amazed by how lonely a person can feel when they are being separated from the rest of society. A person becomes so quiet and secretive that they begin to look like a little kid hiding from their mom because they did something bad. I started to realize that being isolated from the rest of the world can change your personality.

Canadian individual identity is questioned often because it is so diverse and means something different to each person in Canada. Although there is not a set identity there are many values and beliefs that are owned by all Canadians. To find out what Canadians identity is, one has to take into account what has affected it. The United States is the biggest influence on Canadian identity. The U.S. culture is very similar to Canadians as we are exposed to it all the time in media sources.

Physical contact viewed in her culture is a kiss on each cheek. But not all Canadians did this. Cultural diversity of Canada means that guidelines of communal politeness are to a certain extent complex. There remain definite wide-ranging anticipations. Greeting, excluding in official situations, does not necessitate come into contact in the procedure of hugs or handshakes.

To me, being Canadian is to be a kind, accepting person who respects others and their beliefs and nationality. I believe that multiculturalism is a large part of being Canadian as many have immigrated from other countries; someone who doesn't discriminate because others are different. I believe that the vast forests and striking wilderness are symbols of Canada’s uniqueness and one can feel pride through this. We are strong and it can be seen in the recent years as Canada has become more independant and more powerful. Being a Canadian is a privilege to me and I am pleased to call this nation

The American Revolution was the start of the America’s history and one of the biggest turning points in that era. All the colonists remembered the daring fight against Britain for land and liberty. Yet, 29 years later another war broke out between Britain and America. The same arguments were in place as before, America was pushing for land and defending their liberties. In these ways the War of 1812 can easily be viewed as the second American Revolution.

Canada is a multicultural country. As a lot of people have immigrated to Canada from different parts of the world, they brought some cultural elements of their native culture along with them. These cultural elements have been blended into the mainstream culture of Canada. With so much diverse population, it is natural that people will be ethnocentric.

Imperialism is a policy of extending the rule or authority of an empire or nation over foreign countries. It originated in the 1800’s but flourished in Europe during the 1900’s due to the British expansion towards foreign lands. The factors in fueling the 19th-century imperialism consisted of racism, economics, religion, and politics: Racism, in my opinion, is the most important in fueling the 19th-century imperialism because the motives for expansion expressed prejudice. Racism means the prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior. Most events during the era of imperialism illustrated a trait of racism, which fueled imperialism throughout Europe.