Friday, 9 September 2016

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                       Awful Canadian Violations Of Human Rights

Why is there silence surrounding slavery in Canada?


 
When a citizen of any other country thinks of Canada, the thought that usually comes to mind is a peaceful and cooperative nation that is a shining example of tolerance and civil rights. However, Canada has had many dark chapters in its history. If one looks deeper, the innocent facade of the Great White North is shattered, revealing some disturbing truths behind it.

9 Slavery In Canada
Like America, Canada was built in part by slave labor, centered mainly in New France, which is now known as the province of Quebec. Thousands of African and Aboriginal people were sold into bondage, either bought from traders overseas, traded between the French and the British, or even sold by Aboriginal people themselves, who had little other use for those captured in wars between various tribes. 

Between 1671 and 1833, around 4,000 slaves were held captive in Canada, two-thirds of whom were First Nations people and the rest mainly African. Most of those held in captivity were very young, between the ages of 14 and 18 years old. All were forced to serve the political and social elite of the times, and although their treatment was much better than that endured by American slaves, they still enjoyed little freedom and endured the pain of being separated from their families and culture.

The main reason the slave trade in Canada did not balloon to the proportions seen in the United States was the principle differences in industry between the two nations at the time. Canada’s main source of income was the fur trade, an industry served primarily by hunters, and Canada’s farming industry was not focused on exportation, unlike the massive cotton industry in the US. Slaves were also very expensive during this period—even an unskilled slave cost as much as four times an average person’s annual income. That said, the abhorrent practice did exist in Canada and affected thousands, leaving an often unmentioned scar on the nation’s psyche.
                                       
                                      

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