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History | From Canada's POV
Jan. 27th, 2013 11:08 pmSince this is merely an AU where Canada was female, Canada's basic history never changed. The difference came in how she perceived it and how she personally related to the major players in her time as a nation. Like the male Canada, she was a loner nation for much of her early life. Her only interactions were with the nations who controlled her and they were often in and out of her life in brief flashes. She barely remembers her time with the Dutch and her self-awareness began with France. The woman was her mentor for a long time, the kind but stern mistress of her life. As with many colonies, her relationship with her governing nation was at times strained, but France always held a special place to her. The woman taught to read and write and was a heavy influence for nearly 200 years.
When she was given to England after the Seven Year's War in 1763, her irrational hopes that France would keep her safe forever fell to pieces. What time would do to her relationship with England was done in mere moments with France and although she has reconciled with France in recent years, things were never the same after that time. She often felt betrayed but being closer to England made her closer to America, her neighbor the South. The younger colony seemed to grow as much in less than a hundred years as she herself as grown in two hundred and it was not until another few hundred later that Canada felt them to be equals in age, physically.
The forced closeness with America grew to true fondness, but Canada was not the rebellious sort. When America and her passionate speeches turned into real action and real revolution, Canada shied away. Part of her supported and admired America's bold actions, but she remained unconvinced and pushed America back to her own land time and time again. When America, full of newly won freedom turned north once more, Canada fought back with England, pressing America back into her own land time and time again, trying to talk America out of it and then using force when necessary. She was left with a scar on her heart and in her mind. Canada had trusted America and it had proved to be an awful mistake, even if America's attempts to steal her from British rule had failed. For a long time, she fretted over this, building up defenses against the potential invasion of America. For her, there was times of peace, to grow and prosper and watch the rest of the world with a detached eye and America with a wary one.
Of course, peace with the rest of the world was one thing and peace within her own self was another. For like across the ocean, British and French clashed within her. Her people had many arguments and battles over the ideas America had brought, a democratic government that was "responsible" to the colonists and not the British monarchy or legislature. She had headaches time and time again as the rebellions lifted and were squashed. She agreed with them in principle, that her colonists should have a government closer to home, but she knew she could not win against England at this time. Life progressed with constant bumps in the road, but in 1867, she was given control of her own affairs with the Confederation and became known as the Dominion of Canada. However, Britain still kept control over her external affairs and as Canada was still uncertain about dealing with America, and the disputes between where their borders lay, she was content with this. Her lands expanded over time and despite the bumps and bruises she gained with every new province and territory, her size and power grew. However it was with an empty stomach and constant headaches that she met the World Wars.
While the Wars gave her jobs, technology, and a better sense of the world outside her own set of land, she detested them. One out of every ten soldiers she sent overseas died in the first World War. Her inability to dictate her own foreign policy then grated on her nerves and the soldiers who died for her and Britain haunt her. It was with great reluctance that she watched her soldier be sent overseas yet again almost three decades later, even if this had been her own people's choice. While she had been working as a nurse in the army during the war, when the supply of volunteers began to run dry, she bundled up her hair and bandaged down her chest. The war was draining and with every death, she had a harder time seeing why she was even there and cursing the Europeans for starting these stupid wars. However, despite her reluctance, she came out of the wars a stronger nation.
The single worst event Canada can recall was watching Quebec try to leave her. The urge to grab her province and shake her, tell her that this a family that will not be broken, was hard to ignore and even now, she watches Quebec ponder independence.
Since the inventions of mobile phones and the growth of the internet, Canada has made far more friends, both humans and nations, and likes to keep in touch with them more often.
When she was given to England after the Seven Year's War in 1763, her irrational hopes that France would keep her safe forever fell to pieces. What time would do to her relationship with England was done in mere moments with France and although she has reconciled with France in recent years, things were never the same after that time. She often felt betrayed but being closer to England made her closer to America, her neighbor the South. The younger colony seemed to grow as much in less than a hundred years as she herself as grown in two hundred and it was not until another few hundred later that Canada felt them to be equals in age, physically.
The forced closeness with America grew to true fondness, but Canada was not the rebellious sort. When America and her passionate speeches turned into real action and real revolution, Canada shied away. Part of her supported and admired America's bold actions, but she remained unconvinced and pushed America back to her own land time and time again. When America, full of newly won freedom turned north once more, Canada fought back with England, pressing America back into her own land time and time again, trying to talk America out of it and then using force when necessary. She was left with a scar on her heart and in her mind. Canada had trusted America and it had proved to be an awful mistake, even if America's attempts to steal her from British rule had failed. For a long time, she fretted over this, building up defenses against the potential invasion of America. For her, there was times of peace, to grow and prosper and watch the rest of the world with a detached eye and America with a wary one.
Of course, peace with the rest of the world was one thing and peace within her own self was another. For like across the ocean, British and French clashed within her. Her people had many arguments and battles over the ideas America had brought, a democratic government that was "responsible" to the colonists and not the British monarchy or legislature. She had headaches time and time again as the rebellions lifted and were squashed. She agreed with them in principle, that her colonists should have a government closer to home, but she knew she could not win against England at this time. Life progressed with constant bumps in the road, but in 1867, she was given control of her own affairs with the Confederation and became known as the Dominion of Canada. However, Britain still kept control over her external affairs and as Canada was still uncertain about dealing with America, and the disputes between where their borders lay, she was content with this. Her lands expanded over time and despite the bumps and bruises she gained with every new province and territory, her size and power grew. However it was with an empty stomach and constant headaches that she met the World Wars.
While the Wars gave her jobs, technology, and a better sense of the world outside her own set of land, she detested them. One out of every ten soldiers she sent overseas died in the first World War. Her inability to dictate her own foreign policy then grated on her nerves and the soldiers who died for her and Britain haunt her. It was with great reluctance that she watched her soldier be sent overseas yet again almost three decades later, even if this had been her own people's choice. While she had been working as a nurse in the army during the war, when the supply of volunteers began to run dry, she bundled up her hair and bandaged down her chest. The war was draining and with every death, she had a harder time seeing why she was even there and cursing the Europeans for starting these stupid wars. However, despite her reluctance, she came out of the wars a stronger nation.
The single worst event Canada can recall was watching Quebec try to leave her. The urge to grab her province and shake her, tell her that this a family that will not be broken, was hard to ignore and even now, she watches Quebec ponder independence.
Since the inventions of mobile phones and the growth of the internet, Canada has made far more friends, both humans and nations, and likes to keep in touch with them more often.
