On This Day in History

And in Today's Birthdays...
Susanna Moodie 1803-1885
author, pioneer, born on this day at Stowe House, Suffolk, England in 1803; died in Toronto April 8, 1885. Moodie came from a family of writers. In 1831 she and her husband Lt. J.W.D. Moodie and their 2 sons and 5 daughters emigrated to Upper Canada to take a military land grant, and settled at Lakefield, north of Peterborough, Ontario. Her memoir of that time, Roughing It In the Bush (1852), is a Canadian literary classic.


http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day

1678 On This Day...
Niagara Falls Ontario - Louis Hennepin 1626-c1705 first European to describe Niagara Falls; with Dominique La Motte de Lucière. Here is the engraving in his account of the discovery.


http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day

1869 Dec. 8th
START OF RED RIVER REBELLION

Winnipeg Manitoba - Louis Riel 1844-1885 issues the Declaration of the People of Rupert's Land and the North West; declares that the sale to Canada of Rupert's Land (the HBC territory) without their consent entitles people to set up their own government; many in Canada privately agree, including Militia Minister George-Etienne Cartier.





http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day

December 12

1894 DEATH OF A PRIME MINISTER
Windsor England - Sir John Thompson 1845-1894 dies at Windsor Castle of a heart attack a few minutes after being sworn in by Queen Victoria as a member of the Privy Council; his body is brought home by a British warship. Canada's 4th Prime Minister, since Dec. 5, 1892, he was a former Premier of Nova Scotia, brought to Ottawa by John A. Macdonald to serve as Justice Minister - 'The great discovery of my life,' said John A., 'was my discovery of Thompson.' Thompson was replaced by Mackenzie Bowell.


http://www1.sympatico.ca/cgi-bin/on_this_day


(I wonder if the moral of this story is, visiting a queen
is hard on one's heart?)

On this day, January 26, 1784 Benjamin Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter which became legendary.)


Writing from France on January 26, 1784 to his daughter Sally (Mrs. Sarah Bache) in Philadelphia, Franklin casts doubt on the propriety of using the Bald Eagle to symbolize the "brave and honest Cincinnati of America," a newly formed society of revolutionary war officers.

The society's insignia had a poorly drawn eagle that looked more like a turkey, which prompted Franklin's naturally inquisitive mind to compare and contrast the two birds as a symbol for the United States.

Franklin's Letter to His Daughter (excerpt)

"For my own part I wish the Bald Eagle had not been chosen the Representative of our Country. He is a Bird of bad moral Character. He does not get his Living honestly. You may have seen him perched on some dead Tree near the River, where, too lazy to fish for himself, he watches the Labour of the Fishing Hawk; and when that diligent Bird has at length taken a Fish, and is bearing it to his Nest for the Support of his Mate and young Ones, the Bald Eagle pursues him and takes it from him.

"With all this Injustice, he is never in good Case but like those among Men who live by Sharping & Robbing he is generally poor and often very lousy. Besides he is a rank Coward: The little King Bird not bigger than a Sparrow attacks him boldly and drives him out of the District. He is therefore by no means a proper Emblem for the brave and honest Cincinnati of America who have driven all the King birds from our Country...

"I am on this account not displeased that the Figure is not known as a Bald Eagle, but looks more like a Turkey. For the Truth the Turkey is in Comparison a much more respectable Bird, and withal a true original Native of America... He is besides, though a little vain & silly, a Bird of Courage, and would not hesitate to attack a Grenadier of the British Guards who should presume to invade his Farm Yard with a red Coat on."



http://www.greatseal.com/symbols/turkey.html

Thanks oceanna!