Did You Know? Your History Lesson For The Day

[Sweet 90]

My comments are in red. Now you know the rest of the story

One mostly forgotten part of the Articles of Confederation, America’s first Constitution, was an open invitation for Canada to join the United States, with no strings attached.

America invades Canada, 1775.

The invitation was officially made on March 1, 1781, when the Articles were ratified as Maryland became the 13th and final state to approve them. But some of the Founding Fathers had their eyes on a 14th state: Canada.

The desire to add Canada to the union was so strong that American negotiators at the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War, asked that Canada be ceded to the United States as part of the treaty. The demand was later dropped and the treaty was signed in 1783 as Britain formally ended hostilities with the newly formed United States.

The formal invite to Canada was unique and came in the form of Article XI of the Articles of Confederation:

“Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States,” the document says.

At the time, Ontario and Quebec (dodged a bullet there lads) made up what was called Canada.

That provision allowed the residents of Canada to petition the United States for immediate inclusion in the United States, assuming the Canadians had ended their relationship with the crown. It excluded other British colonies, which would need a vote from the Confederation Congress.

According to Canadian census records, the population of Canada in 1784 was an estimated 166,000 residents. It included loyalists who had fled the United States.

Compared to population estimates for the American colonies from 1780, Canada would have ranked ninth or even possibly 10th in population if it had joined the United States.

The invitation stood open until the proposed (now current) U.S. Constitution was ratified in June 1788 and a new government took office in March 1789.

In any event, there seems to have been little interest among the British colonists in Canada to leave the crown and join their rebellious neighbors to the south. During the American Revolution, the Continental army tried to invade Canada and was repulsed.

The British crown passed its own Constitutional Act of 1791, defining the regions of Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec). (See, even in the 1700s Quebec was still considered lower)The act helped to attract more American immigrants to Ontario and Quebec.

The relationship between the British, their Canadian colonists, and the United States remained strained after 1789, and it was a core political issue in America until the end of the War of 1812.

A second invasion of Canada failed in the War of 1812, as British troops and militia forces made up of loyalists who had left the United States defeated another invading American army. The British retaliated by burning the White House and the Capitol in Washington.(Take that you imperialistic Yankee bastards)..

Since then, the idea of Canada joining the United States has become a moot point. (Not so sure about Alberta)

A 2004 poll from Leger Marketing in Canada showed that only 7 percent of Canadians had any interest in a merger with the United States. The group also polled United States residents, with 19 percent interested in a combined United States–Canada. Only 29 percent of Canadians thought they had a lot in common with Americans.(So 29% of us are still dullards)

[DukeAllen]

[Sweet 90]

Well I don't get the snow goose thing, but if you had an eagle attacking a Beaver, now that would be funny, although any self respecting Eagle would never fu%k with a living chainsaw

[DukeAllen]

I've attacked many beavers on behalf of my country

[Sweet 90]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

I've attacked many beavers on behalf of my country

And the women of America are still limping

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by Sweet 90

And the women of America are still limping

Ruined one in Alberta too

[Sweet 90]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

Ruined one in Alberta too

Yes I know, and she's still laughing her ass off.

[Frizlefrak]

Originally Posted by Sweet 90

Yes I know, and she's still laughing her ass off.

Damn Duke....no need to knock her teeth out....just ask her to open a little wider....

Sweets, we don't need Quebec.....we have California.

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by Sweet 90

Yes I know, and she's still laughing her ass off.

And yet you still married her

[Sweet 90]

Originally Posted by Frizlefrak

Damn Duke....no need to knock her teeth out....just ask her to open a little wider....

Sweets, we don't need Quebec.....we have California.

I can't give that fu&king place away. Well to be fair, I'd take California over Quebec any day Friz

[Frizlefrak]

Originally Posted by Sweet 90

I can't give that fu&king place away. Well to be fair, I'd take California over Quebec any day Friz

It is warmer, and it isn't over-run with French....

[Sweet 90]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

And yet you still married her

Never sloppy seconds for me.

Originally Posted by Frizlefrak

It is warmer, and it isn't over-run with French....

Couldn't agree more

[WW7]

Canada does have some good female vocalists..Celine Dion, Ann Murry, Alanis Morissette, Chantal Kreviazuk,Nelly Furtado, Neil Young, "Oh, no , what a minite", Oh never mind...........WW

[Frizlefrak]

April Wine, Rush, Trooper, Guess Who / BTO, Bryan Adams.....but then there's Nickelback.....

[Sweet 90]

Originally Posted by WW7

Canada does have some good female vocalists..Celine Dion, Ann Murry, Alanis Morissette, Chantal Kreviazuk,Nelly Furtado, Neil Young, "Oh, no , what a minite", Oh never mind...........WW

I'm so glad you pointed this out to the rest of the world, especially Dion and Murray, makes me so proud...............NOT!!!!
John Denver jokes acoming

[Sweet 90]

Originally Posted by Frizlefrak

April Wine, Rush, Trooper, Guess Who / BTO, Bryan Adams.....but then there's Nickelback.....

And Justin Bieber

[WW7]

I'll bet Canada is real glad they didn't join the USA team now.. They would be 16 Trillion dollars in dept and have and azzhole for president...Boy did you guys make the right decision.......WW

PS... Leave JD out of this....

[PLRX]

Originally Posted by WW7

I'll bet Canada is real glad they didn't join the USA team now.. They would be 16 Trillion dollars in dept and have and azzhole for president...Boy did you guys make the right decision.......WW

PS... Leave JD out of this....

No, if we had Canada the debt could be up to 50 trillion by now, and all is on GWBush.

[WW7]

Originally Posted by PLRX

No, if we had Canada the debt could be up to 50 trillion by now, and all is on GWBush.

You may be right....But at least we might have free "Health Care.......How's that working out for you Sweets?...WW

[DukeAllen]

Candian Health care at it's finest