Message of the Day - June 24, 2002
Vive Le Quebec Libre!
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Today, June 24th, is the celebration of Quebec’s national day. Now, you may be thinking, since when did Quebec have a national day since it is still part of Canada, right? Well, technically Quebec is indeed still a part of Canada, however, a significant portion of the French speaking majority doesn’t feel a part of Canada and would just as soon not be a part of a confederation it didn’t join by choice in 1867.
Through the 17th century as well as the first half of the 18th century, what is now known as Quebec was a part of the growing French colonial empire. Globally, only the British rivaled the French. The rivalry between the two was the superpower relations of the 18th century. In the 1750’s, war broke out between the two. This war, known as the Seven Years’ War, was one of global proportions. There was fighting in Asia, on the European continent, on the seas, and on the North American continent. The North American portion of the war is often referred to at the French and Indian War.
In 1759, the North American phase of the war effectively was brought to an end when the British won the Battle on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City. That is the date many Quebecois (what most of the French population of Quebec refers to itself as) refer to as the date of conquest. With the treaty that followed France’s ultimate defeat in the war, Quebec was formally ceded to Britain and was eventually made a part of British North America.
British rule was a roller coaster of tolerance and repression. Quebec has significant differences from the rest of Anglo-North America. The two primary differences are the Roman Catholic faith of the vast majority of the residents as well as the French language and culture of the people. A time of extreme repression by the British led to an unsuccessful rebellion by French nationalists in 1837.
Canadians would like outsiders to believe that all has been tranquil between the English majority and the French minority since confederation in 1867. This is far from the case. Only two years removed from confederation, French-speakers in the prairie provinces rebelled against the new government. This rebellion served to fuel nationalism in Quebec, where French are the majority. When the rebel leader was hung in 1885, outrage grew in areas with large French-speaking populations.
Canada joined in World War I in 1914. There was a significant difference of opinion between the Quebecois and the Anglo-Canadians. Anglo-Canadians were eager to go to war in support of England. The Quebecois were in opposition to this. They had no desire to go to fight a war that they felt they had no stake in. This led to increased unrest. Finally, opposition brewing in Quebec was suppressed by federal troops in 1917. This, as well as the economic problems faced by Quebec due to discrimination to the “Blacks of Canada” fueled large-scale emigration of Quebecois people to the three states of northern New England (New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine) through the 1910s and 1920s. The large French populations in those three states are largely a legacy of that emigration from Quebec.
The discord repeated itself during the Second World War. Canada joined the war in 1939. By 1942, there was a conscription crisis in Canada, basically for the same reasons that there were in the First World War. The people of Quebec basically felt that their concerns that this was a war not in Canada’s interest or in the interest of the Quebec people were being completely ignored.
By the time the 1960s arrived, French culture and language was under assault in Quebec. Many people of French heritage in Quebec couldn’t speak the language, the Roman Catholic Church was under assault, as were the French institutions such as education and law that were fundamentally different from those of their Anglo counterparts. Must as the United States had its own cultural revolution in the 1960s, Quebec did as well. In Quebec, there was a revival of the French language and French culture. This revolution naturally led to a revival of Quebec nationalism. This Quebec nationalism was fueled by the 1967 visit of French President Charles de Gaulle when he proclaimed “Vive le Quebec Libre!” (Long Live Free Quebec!). This led to the founding of the separatist Parti Quebecois by Rene Levesque. Two years later, militants create a crisis in Quebec during which civil liberties were suspended in Quebec. A bombing campaign, the kidnapping of a British diplomat, and other events led to this. This was really the high point of anti-Unionist violence in Quebec.
Following the turbulent early seventies, the movement toward Quebec independence grew more peaceful. In 1980, there was a referendum for Quebec independence. Though it failed by a 3-2 margin, it showed that there was in fact significant support for an independent Quebec state (nearly half of the French-speaking Quebecois voted in favor of independence). At this point, the rest of Canada realized that succession was a real possibility. Proposals were initiated that would amend Canada’s 1982 Constitution that would recognize Quebec as a distinct society within Canada. In 1987, this Meech Lake Accord was drafted. However, in 1990, this Meech Lake Accord failed to gain ratification. It was at this point that many Quebec nationalists vowed that Quebec would in fact gain its independence.
In 1994, Jacques Parizeau won the premiership (governorship) of Quebec on a platform of promising a referendum on Quebec independence. This vote occurred in 1995. In the weeks leading up to the referendum, polls were indicating that the people of Quebec would in fact vote for independence. At that point, government owned agencies (including Air Canada) offered pro-Unionists incentives to go and vote for continued union with Canada. As a result of this corruption on the pro-Union side, the referendum was defeated by a 50.6 to 49.4% margin. I remember at that time, as a Quebecois-American, the despair that both myself felt as well as friends of mine in Athens who were natives of Quebec. We thought that our homeland would finally be free, but alas the Unionists plotted to keep Quebec firmly under the yoke of Canada.
Quebec is indeed a nation. The people of Quebec speak a different language, practice a different religious faith, have different legal and educational institutions, and have a different culture than the rest of Canada. This certainly is enough to define Quebec as a nation. As a forced member of Canada, it can also be classified as a captive-nation. This is much the same status that was granted the nations captured by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Until Quebec achieves its independence from Canada, it will continue to be a captive nation and will be an abomination to the North American continent until it finally is able to claim its independence and join the global family of free and independent nations.
VIVE LE QUEBEC LIBRE!!!
Vive Le Quebec Libre!
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Today, June 24th, is the celebration of Quebec’s national day. Now, you may be thinking, since when did Quebec have a national day since it is still part of Canada, right? Well, technically Quebec is indeed still a part of Canada, however, a significant portion of the French speaking majority doesn’t feel a part of Canada and would just as soon not be a part of a confederation it didn’t join by choice in 1867.
Through the 17th century as well as the first half of the 18th century, what is now known as Quebec was a part of the growing French colonial empire. Globally, only the British rivaled the French. The rivalry between the two was the superpower relations of the 18th century. In the 1750’s, war broke out between the two. This war, known as the Seven Years’ War, was one of global proportions. There was fighting in Asia, on the European continent, on the seas, and on the North American continent. The North American portion of the war is often referred to at the French and Indian War.
In 1759, the North American phase of the war effectively was brought to an end when the British won the Battle on the Plains of Abraham outside Quebec City. That is the date many Quebecois (what most of the French population of Quebec refers to itself as) refer to as the date of conquest. With the treaty that followed France’s ultimate defeat in the war, Quebec was formally ceded to Britain and was eventually made a part of British North America.
British rule was a roller coaster of tolerance and repression. Quebec has significant differences from the rest of Anglo-North America. The two primary differences are the Roman Catholic faith of the vast majority of the residents as well as the French language and culture of the people. A time of extreme repression by the British led to an unsuccessful rebellion by French nationalists in 1837.
Canadians would like outsiders to believe that all has been tranquil between the English majority and the French minority since confederation in 1867. This is far from the case. Only two years removed from confederation, French-speakers in the prairie provinces rebelled against the new government. This rebellion served to fuel nationalism in Quebec, where French are the majority. When the rebel leader was hung in 1885, outrage grew in areas with large French-speaking populations.
Canada joined in World War I in 1914. There was a significant difference of opinion between the Quebecois and the Anglo-Canadians. Anglo-Canadians were eager to go to war in support of England. The Quebecois were in opposition to this. They had no desire to go to fight a war that they felt they had no stake in. This led to increased unrest. Finally, opposition brewing in Quebec was suppressed by federal troops in 1917. This, as well as the economic problems faced by Quebec due to discrimination to the “Blacks of Canada” fueled large-scale emigration of Quebecois people to the three states of northern New England (New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine) through the 1910s and 1920s. The large French populations in those three states are largely a legacy of that emigration from Quebec.
The discord repeated itself during the Second World War. Canada joined the war in 1939. By 1942, there was a conscription crisis in Canada, basically for the same reasons that there were in the First World War. The people of Quebec basically felt that their concerns that this was a war not in Canada’s interest or in the interest of the Quebec people were being completely ignored.
By the time the 1960s arrived, French culture and language was under assault in Quebec. Many people of French heritage in Quebec couldn’t speak the language, the Roman Catholic Church was under assault, as were the French institutions such as education and law that were fundamentally different from those of their Anglo counterparts. Must as the United States had its own cultural revolution in the 1960s, Quebec did as well. In Quebec, there was a revival of the French language and French culture. This revolution naturally led to a revival of Quebec nationalism. This Quebec nationalism was fueled by the 1967 visit of French President Charles de Gaulle when he proclaimed “Vive le Quebec Libre!” (Long Live Free Quebec!). This led to the founding of the separatist Parti Quebecois by Rene Levesque. Two years later, militants create a crisis in Quebec during which civil liberties were suspended in Quebec. A bombing campaign, the kidnapping of a British diplomat, and other events led to this. This was really the high point of anti-Unionist violence in Quebec.
Following the turbulent early seventies, the movement toward Quebec independence grew more peaceful. In 1980, there was a referendum for Quebec independence. Though it failed by a 3-2 margin, it showed that there was in fact significant support for an independent Quebec state (nearly half of the French-speaking Quebecois voted in favor of independence). At this point, the rest of Canada realized that succession was a real possibility. Proposals were initiated that would amend Canada’s 1982 Constitution that would recognize Quebec as a distinct society within Canada. In 1987, this Meech Lake Accord was drafted. However, in 1990, this Meech Lake Accord failed to gain ratification. It was at this point that many Quebec nationalists vowed that Quebec would in fact gain its independence.
In 1994, Jacques Parizeau won the premiership (governorship) of Quebec on a platform of promising a referendum on Quebec independence. This vote occurred in 1995. In the weeks leading up to the referendum, polls were indicating that the people of Quebec would in fact vote for independence. At that point, government owned agencies (including Air Canada) offered pro-Unionists incentives to go and vote for continued union with Canada. As a result of this corruption on the pro-Union side, the referendum was defeated by a 50.6 to 49.4% margin. I remember at that time, as a Quebecois-American, the despair that both myself felt as well as friends of mine in Athens who were natives of Quebec. We thought that our homeland would finally be free, but alas the Unionists plotted to keep Quebec firmly under the yoke of Canada.
Quebec is indeed a nation. The people of Quebec speak a different language, practice a different religious faith, have different legal and educational institutions, and have a different culture than the rest of Canada. This certainly is enough to define Quebec as a nation. As a forced member of Canada, it can also be classified as a captive-nation. This is much the same status that was granted the nations captured by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Until Quebec achieves its independence from Canada, it will continue to be a captive nation and will be an abomination to the North American continent until it finally is able to claim its independence and join the global family of free and independent nations.
VIVE LE QUEBEC LIBRE!!!