JOHN A: BIRTH OF A COUNTRY Resource Guide Acknowledgements Guide Writer: Jill Colyer Editor & Project Manager: Karen Bower Designer: Sue Rosenthal This Resource Guide has been designed to engage students in historical thinking. The historical thinking concepts explored in this Guide are based on the work of Professor Peter Seixas, Director of The Historical Thinking Project, and the Centre for the Study of Historical Consciousness at the University of British Columbia (www.historicalthinking.ca). © 2011 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. CBC Learning authorizes the reproduction of material contained in this Resource Guide for educational purposes. Please identify and credit the source. Reproduction rights for this Work are not government by any licence executed by CANCOPY or any other reprography collective. Published by CBC Learning P.O. Box 500, Station A Toronto, Ontario M5W 1E6 Canada Toll-free: 1.866.999.3072 Local: 416.205.6384 Fax: 416.205.2376 Email: [email protected] Web: cbclearning.ca Printed in Canada Teacher Notes The film John A: Birth of a Country explores the founding of Canada as seen through the riveting and dramatic rivalry between John A. Macdonald and George Brown—which eventually resulted in an alliance and led to the Confederation of Canada. This Resource Guide companion to the film has been written for use with students ranging from the intermediate to senior secondary level. Teachers can work through the Guide sequentially or focus on one or two individual sections. Each section has been designed to stand alone and does not require teachers to have used other sections of the Guide. Confederation appears in the Grade 7 and Grade 8 curriculum of most provinces and territories in the country. It also appears in most guidelines of senior grade levels. Teachers should prepare students for watching the film by teaching important terminology and information from the pre-Confederation period: •such terms as Upper and Lower Canada, Canada West and Canada East, British North America, and representation by population •showing students maps of the pre-Confederation period (widely available on the Internet). Teachers should also distribute and discuss the Viewing Guide (page 6 of this Guide) with students before presenting the film so that they are familiar with the main characters and their roles in history. Viewing the Film Students at both the intermediate and senior level will benefit from reviewing the Viewing Guide before watching the film. The Viewing Guide will help them keep track of the major characters and themes of the film. The Introduction (page 5) also provides useful background to place the film in historical context, and should be reviewed with your students before viewing the film. Depending on the length of your class periods and the learning styles of your students, you may choose to show the 105-minute film in its entirety over a couple of class periods. But with intermediate students or senior students without a strong history background, you may choose to play a few chapters at a time, and then have a discussion summarizing the plot and events to that point. The John A: Birth of a Country DVD is divided into chapters that can be accessed from the Scene Selection menu of the disc. For teachers and students using a digital file of the film, the “start time” will assist in locating the segments of the video. ii DVD Chapters and Chapter Time Codes 1. The Man in Black Start Time: 00:00 It’s 1864 and the Assembly gathers in Quebec City. John A. Macdonald has wagered his political future on the decision of one man: his enemy, George Brown. Confronted by allies and opposition, Macdonald tensely awaits Brown’s arrival in the Assembly. 2. The Rivals Start Time 04:07 On election day in Kingston, ON in 1856, John A. is confident he’ll win. The next morning George Brown waits for the election results in the offices of the Globe newspaper; his Liberals lose. John A. and the Conservatives win another victory. 3. The Allies Start Time 12:31 Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier plan to remove their leader, Allan MacNab. It’s assumed that Cartier would be the natural replacement for MacNab, but John A. manages to gain the leadership for himself. 4. The Absolutely Indicative Issue Start Time 18:28 Macdonald and Cartier attempt to solve the question of where to locate the capital after a lecture from the Governor General who suggests Bytown. Bytown is not a location desired by anyone except perhaps Queen Victoria, but it appears to be political suicide to oppose the decision. 5. Backwoods Lumber Towns Start Time 32:07 George Brown arranges a symbolic demonstration against Macdonald and the new capital, and stumbles into power as the new premier when Macdonald and his Cabinet resign. 6. Trickery and Treachery Start Time 40:27 George Brown and his Liberal coalition form the government, but after a humiliating defeat at the hands of Macdonald only two days later, he decides to give up politics. 7. An Expanse of Rocks and Trees Start Time 42:16 The U.S., in the midst of civil war, talks of annexing Canada, and Great Britain offers little hope of support or defence. John A. proposes a Militia Bill in an attempt to raise troops. George Brown, who is travelling in Scotland, is not present when Macdonald suffers an unqualified defeat in the Assembly. 8. Opposing Fortunes Start Time 55:48 John A. loses his wife Isabella who has been an invalid through most of their fourteen-year marriage. George Brown meets and woos Anne Nelson, and returns to Toronto with his bride. 9. The Times Demand It Start Time 57:50 George Brown and Macdonald both return to the Assembly that “doesn’t work”, but Brown has a plan to fix it and offers “a fresh start between friends.” 10. God Save Us from Petty Men Start Time 1:07:26 John A. is persuaded that major reforms must be accomplished if the government is actually to work, but balks at working with George Brown. 11. It’s a Pipedream Start Time 1:10:30 Brown and Macdonald propose very different plans for government reform. Cartier and Macdonald try to convince Brown that Macdonald’s plan for a grand confederacy could become a reality, but only with Brown’s support. 12. One Great Country, One Grand Assembly Start Time 1:15:46 It’s 1864 and the Assembly gathers in Quebec City. George Brown considers his options and the deal Macdonald has proposed. Macdonald and his allies wait for Brown to arrive and announce his decision to the Assembly. iii Curriculum Connections Subjects/Courses Areas of Study History and Social Science Pre-Confederation Confederation Westward expansion Structure of government Leadership Canadian-American relations English-French relations Relationship between Canada and Britain Politics and Civics Structure of government Leadership Canadian-American relations English-French relations Relationship between Canada and Britain Character Education Leadership qualities Compromise Classroom Materials Introduction 5 Viewing Guide 6 Considering Historical Significance 7 Profile of a Prime Minister 9 Analyzing Cause and Consequence 12 Identifying Continuity and Change 14 Historical Perspective-Taking 15 iv Introduction The film John A: Birth of a Country chronicles the precarious period in Definition Canadian history that preceded Confederation. Confederation—the birth of Rival – a person Canada—depended to a great extent on the relationship between two rivals: who is competing Sir John A. Macdonald and George Brown. The word “rivals” is not actually a for the same good description of the relationship between the two men because they were object or goal as another, or who more than mere competitors—they had an intense dislike of each other. tries to equal or outdo another; a Yet despite their personal feelings for one another, they both believed competitor passionately that the only way that the British colonies in North America could protect themselves against invasion from the United States of America was to unite into one confederated country. July 1, 1867, officially marked the “birth” of Canada. Before this date, Canada was called British North America. Many people feel that Confederation is one of the most significant events in Canadian history, and that John A. Macdonald and George Brown are two of the most historically significant people in Canadian history. But how do we determine historical significance? Who decides what is significant or not? And what if we disagree? This is just one of the issues that will be explored in this Guide. The Guide also explores the causes and consequences of Confederation —including those consequences that still exist today—and also considers how similar or dissimilar society, transportation, and politics were in the pre- Confederation period. In addition, the Guide explores how to take a historical perspective when studying events from the past. Like all significant events, Confederation cannot be understood without a deep understanding of the issues that preceded the alliance. A careful investigation of this period demonstrates that the people who were involved in these events were dynamic and felt very passionately about the issues that were important to their lives. The same could be said of people today. And the decisions John A. Macdonald and other politicians made in the 1860s continued to have consequences for years to come—in this case, for almost 150 years. To Consider 1. What does it mean for a country to be “born?” 2. Do you think that common people would have felt the same about Confederation as those who were wealthier? Why or why not? 3. Do you feel that it is important for Canadian students to understand the Confederation period? Why or why not? John A: Birth of a Country Page 5 Viewing Guide Definition The main characters in the film and some identifying information are listed The Great in the chart below.