Déjà vu: Canada, Tariffs, and Becoming American

The comments made by President-Elect Trump about Canada becoming the 51st state may sound bizarre to some. But a quick journey back in time to the late-nineteenth century reveals that such rhetoric is not all that unique.  

Consider US-Canada relations in the 1890s. At that time there were hostile and damaging US tariffs on Canadian goods, disputes over the border, and a Canadian economic downturn. 
 
America was in an aggressive and expansive mood, advancing its control over parts of the world for commercial and strategic reasons, as well as for carrying out its “Manifest Destiny” – that is, spreading American exceptionalism to those considered to be so unfortunate as to live outside of the Republic. 
 
And, most unsettling for Canadians, there was talk among some American politicians about an invasion (or “friendly” absorption) of parts or all of Canada.
 
Unlike today, the US and Britian were not allies in the 1890s. In fact, there were times that it seemed as if they might clash on land or sea. The problem for Canada was that it was caught between two great powers, and the only significant way the US could strike at Britain was by an attack on Canada.
 
Canada had faced dangers on its US border before. The War of 1812 was a major conflict that almost ended in an American victory, whereas the Fenian Raids (1860, 1870-71) were just a nuisance. And in the 1890s things were heating up once again.
 
Initially such statements of being absorbed were ignored by Canadians, but increasingly they were taken seriously especially after more statements and even plans for an invasion went public.
 
So how did Canada survive?
 
At the time there was no consensus on the way forward. Some Canadians such as Goldwin Smith in Canada and the Canadian Question (1891) had weighed the possible benefits of a US-Canada political or commercial union, or at least a trade system based on reciprocity.[1] Others sought to beef up the Canadian militia. A number felt betrayed by their southern neighbors. Some got riled up and stated: “All Canadians Grit or Tory, Colonist or Continentalist, would march to the frontier to defend the sacred soil of Canada singing the Maple Leaf Forever and . .. would fight and die in the last ditch but never yield.”[2] And yet others recommended drawing closer to the British Empire as a means of defending Canada against US aggression. Fortunately, no one did anything really stupid to provoke the US into action.
 
Britain’s conceding to US interests in the western hemisphere relieved some pressure. Ultimately US expansionist interests turned elsewhere towards war with Spain in Cuba and the Philippines. And, since there was no widespread desire among most Americans to go to war with Canada, threats of annexation eventually died down. Canada had survived to live another day.
 
The threats today sound remarkably like that of a bygone century. Whether or not the threats are serious remains to be seen. But there is a sense of déjà vu about the events of the past few weeks.


[1] https://archive.org/details/canadacanadianqu00smit_1/page/n13/mode/2up
[2] Norman Penlington, Canada and Imperialism, 1896-1899 (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1965), 31.