The British North American Revolution [1/6]
anonymous
August 24 2009, 03:17:32 UTC
It started soon after the American Revolution. Matthew had provided what support he could to his father, but he stayed away from the actual fighting. Arthur had seemed fine with that at first. By the end of the war, though, he’d grown furious at the French-Canadien population, who had remained indifferent about the revolution. They’d only gone against the American soldiers when they started looting their farms and trying to pay for supplies with useless paper money. Gleeful neutrality, Arthur called it. Matthew hadn’t practiced it, even going to fight against the American invasions of Canada (why trade one ruler for another?), but that didn’t satisfy Arthur.
Within a year of the end of the American Revolution, there was a significant British military presence. Matthew didn’t really mind. They were there to protect the colonists from the expansion-hungry Americans, to make sure the new influx of Loyalists got homes.
There were one or two new taxes, too, but Matthew didn’t really mind those, either. They were there just so that the Empire could recover from the costs of losing the war, and the new Loyalist population was happy to pay. Arthur would lift them as soon as the costs of the war had been paid, right?
Except that he didn’t.
Not only that, he made it near impossible for Canada and America to trade. Certainly, Canada had plenty of trade options within the Empire, but to be forbidden to trade with his only neighbour? That riled up the colonists the most.
And in British North America came the soft, hesitant whisper of rebellion, rebellion, rebellion…
----
In order to limit the freedom and unity of the colonists, Canada was split into Upper and Lower. Lower was French, Upper was English, and they operated under very different systems. Soon slavery was abolished in Upper Canada. Matthew was proud that he was the first member of the British Empire to forbid slavery. He hardly got a moment’s recognition for that movement, and his people protested vehemently.
The whisper was getting stronger. The war debt was largely paid off and Canada was still being taxed unfairly. The colonists wanted to trade with the Americans. And the British Empire seemed completely uninterested in developing the colony.
Matthew was growing frustrated, in spite of his patience. The call for some sort of reprieve from the unneeded taxes was getting louder. All it was doing was limiting the growth of the colonies. There weren’t enough people in Canada to rebel, and they were scattered too thinly across the land.
“Why aren’t you helping me?” Matthew asked Arthur during one of his increasingly rare visits. “I know I can get bigger and stronger, I know that I can do more. So do my people.”
And Arthur had leaned down and smiled. “I don’t want to lose you.” It should’ve warmed Matthew, that he meant enough for Arthur to want him, but it only chilled him.
“I just want to get bigger. I don’t need to leave you.”
He was pushed to the ground. “Your brother said the same thing before his Revolution!” he shouted. “How can I trust you won’t do the same?”
“I’ve always been loyal,” Matthew replied, doing his best to sit up. “Always.”
“Your Canadiens hardly proved their loyalty,” Arthur replied pointedly. “I have had to pander to them in order to keep them satisfied. What if I was to take their rights away? What if I was to tell them that living like the rest of the Empire should be enough?” He took two steps forward, so that he could fully intimidate Matthew with his height. “Would they be loyal then?” Matthew remained silent.
“Prove your loyalty,” he finally said.
Trembling, Matthew went onto his knees, facing his empire. He lowered his head to Arthur’s shoes and kissed them, face burning red. He had never been so humiliated, and he’d shown his loyalty time and time again.
Within a year of the end of the American Revolution, there was a significant British military presence. Matthew didn’t really mind. They were there to protect the colonists from the expansion-hungry Americans, to make sure the new influx of Loyalists got homes.
There were one or two new taxes, too, but Matthew didn’t really mind those, either. They were there just so that the Empire could recover from the costs of losing the war, and the new Loyalist population was happy to pay. Arthur would lift them as soon as the costs of the war had been paid, right?
Except that he didn’t.
Not only that, he made it near impossible for Canada and America to trade. Certainly, Canada had plenty of trade options within the Empire, but to be forbidden to trade with his only neighbour? That riled up the colonists the most.
And in British North America came the soft, hesitant whisper of rebellion, rebellion, rebellion…
----
In order to limit the freedom and unity of the colonists, Canada was split into Upper and Lower. Lower was French, Upper was English, and they operated under very different systems. Soon slavery was abolished in Upper Canada. Matthew was proud that he was the first member of the British Empire to forbid slavery. He hardly got a moment’s recognition for that movement, and his people protested vehemently.
The whisper was getting stronger. The war debt was largely paid off and Canada was still being taxed unfairly. The colonists wanted to trade with the Americans. And the British Empire seemed completely uninterested in developing the colony.
Matthew was growing frustrated, in spite of his patience. The call for some sort of reprieve from the unneeded taxes was getting louder. All it was doing was limiting the growth of the colonies. There weren’t enough people in Canada to rebel, and they were scattered too thinly across the land.
“Why aren’t you helping me?” Matthew asked Arthur during one of his increasingly rare visits. “I know I can get bigger and stronger, I know that I can do more. So do my people.”
And Arthur had leaned down and smiled. “I don’t want to lose you.” It should’ve warmed Matthew, that he meant enough for Arthur to want him, but it only chilled him.
“I just want to get bigger. I don’t need to leave you.”
He was pushed to the ground. “Your brother said the same thing before his Revolution!” he shouted. “How can I trust you won’t do the same?”
“I’ve always been loyal,” Matthew replied, doing his best to sit up. “Always.”
“Your Canadiens hardly proved their loyalty,” Arthur replied pointedly. “I have had to pander to them in order to keep them satisfied. What if I was to take their rights away? What if I was to tell them that living like the rest of the Empire should be enough?” He took two steps forward, so that he could fully intimidate Matthew with his height. “Would they be loyal then?” Matthew remained silent.
“Prove your loyalty,” he finally said.
Trembling, Matthew went onto his knees, facing his empire. He lowered his head to Arthur’s shoes and kissed them, face burning red. He had never been so humiliated, and he’d shown his loyalty time and time again.
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