Simulated image
by Tod Maffin
Follow me on Hey.Cafe, Eh!, Gander, and elsewhere
▶️ All my videos
Nathaniel Banks was an American.
He worked as a newspaper editor, until the papers ran themselves into the ground. Tried for a seat in his state legislature, but lost. (Twice.) Eventually, though, he ran for Congress to represent Massachusetts and won.
At the time, the Republican Party was dominated by radicals. Banks was seen as not loyal enough to the cult, and so the radicals who ran the party opposed his candidacy. He won anyway.
T O D B I T
In 1860, Banks was one of Abraham Lincoln's own rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. Lincoln still made him a Union major general the following year, despite Banks having no military training whatsoever.
And we might all be celebrating a Nathaniel Banks Day instead of Canada Day.
That's because in 1866, he introduced a bill that called for the takeover of Canada. House Resolution 754.
The bill authorized the American president to take over most of what we call Canada today, turn them into states, and give the British $10 million for it.
T O D B I T
The Toronto Globe mocked the annexation offer as laughably foolish political romance, and suggested the Americans might have better luck trying to annex the moon.
An important connection that not many people make: Four months earlier, the Americans had cancelled the Reciprocity Treaty. That was 12 years of open trade in fish, lumber, grain and coal, dropped. Congress was furious with Britain over the Civil War, and American politicians bet that closing their doors to commerce would leave the colonies broke enough to come asking for admission.
Economic force.
Then, trade war.
Then, annexation.
That was the plan then; it's probably the plan now.
But the British colonies did something Washington hadn't expected. They started talking to each other. Trading more with each other. And in July of the following year, they became a country. Canada.
The Ghosts Of 1866
It's easy to forget history in the kerfuffle of the 24-hour news cycle. It's easy to forget that this is something the Americans do, because they believe they should be the one country in charge of the planet (which is a ballsy opinion for a nation with a collapsing democracy and Vladimir Putin as their side chick).
/
Canada has never been a nation of inaction. We do not respond to intimidation with submission.
We will get through this time because of the one defining characteristic of our nation: Even in the worst of times, we do not let our neighbours down.
In a snowstorm, that means our literal neighbours. In a political storm, that means our businesses, our farmers, our artists, our bookstores.
Spend Like A Nation
Counter-tariffs went into effect earlier this week. That was the government's part. Now, it’s our part: we double-down on buying Canadian. Ontario cheddar. Okanagan wine. Alberta beef. Quebec cider. Coastal lumber.
We shop for Christmas gifts from small businesses hit by the tariffs. We buy that bag for the food bank at the grocery store, especially if we're in a town that's had layoffs.
We do what we have always done.
Banks Folds His Hand
As for Nathaniel Banks? His bill was sent to committee, and was there just long enough for the American politicians to see how we reacted here, up north. The bill stalled and fizzled out. It never even got to a vote.
Banks himself lost his re-election bid, sank some money into the crypto-scheme of the day, a railroad venture, and lost a tonne of money.
All that to say, it's not just Trump that always chickens out.
If we do our job, keeping our dollars here, history will show that when the Americans, once again, started pushing their weight around, the only thing that happened is that they got weaker.
And Canadians got more Canadian.
T O D B I T
The ghost of 1866 walked again in 1911. Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier negotiated a new free-trade reciprocity deal with Washington, and it collapsed after US House Speaker Champ Clark declared on the floor of Congress that he looked forward to the American flag flying over Canada "clear to the North Pole." Canadians started calling him "Chump" Clark.
— 30 —
Join the discussion about this issue in Tod’s Clubhouse!
(Or join my Discord.)
Test Your Knowledge!
The Canadian–American Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 was particularly important because it substantially liberalized trade in which category of goods?
The Weekly Poll
What do you think is the most effective response to U.S. economic pressure?
Last Week:
The Funny Bone
Citizenship applications now nearly three-years delayed
by Greg Kearney; used under licence.
What You Missed This Week
The Good News ♥️
Time Out just named Montreal one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world, making it the only Canadian spot to crack the list.
From books to the small screen to university! The University of Victoria will be offering two classes based on the best-selling books/hit show Heated Rivalry.
A Bedford, N.S., resident is walking a 46-kilometre trek from Bedford to Hubbards in honour of Terry Fox and in memory of his late mother-in-law.
Outdoor-loving northern Ontario cats, Vladdy and Fitz, have taken the internet by storm because of their love of kayaking, hiking trails and the open water.
Montreal recently hosted the country’s largest corgi “Pawty”.
SCIENCE!!!!!! 🔭
A 10-year, $12-million study will analyze health patterns and track changes to the environment to examine potential oil sands impacts on Fort Chipewyan.
Bones found in the Bluefish Caves and at a mine site in northern Yukon have been ID'd as an ice-age cheetah.
The province of Alberta has received federal approval to test a birth control vaccine on wild horses to manage 'unacceptable' horse populations.
Some Great Lakes sturgeon may live far longer than scientists previously thought — in some cases, more than 400 years.
The First Peoples 🪶
An Alberta First Nation says it aims to defy Premier Danielle Smith’s government by creating a safe haven for gender-affirming medical care—contrary to provincial law.
Gordon Sparks, a Mi'kmaw mask carver, won the Canadian Crafts Federation's (CCF) Emerging Craftsperson of the Year.
A major shipping terminal, jointly owned by the Nisg̱a'a and Tahltan Nations as well as Arrow Transportation Systems, has officially opened in Stewart, B.C.
Canadian Content 🍁
A Glaciers Guide to Dying by award-winning Métis author Michelle Porter is an ultimately hopeful novel about the burdens and blessings of inheritance.
In The Third Man Factor, John Geiger combines history, scientific analysis, and great adventure stories to explain this secret to survival.
Blind music producer and recording artist Mattmac has harnessed his melodic pop-trap beats and inspiring story. The 2023 CBC Searchlight winner's new album Smoke Signals is out now.
Born in Manila, Philippines, and raised in Canada, Zaddi’s music blends alternative folk, soul, and contemporary songwriting. His latest album, My Love, Whom I Love, is out now.
Two Ts’msyen First Nations harvesters are putting traditional foods back on the table with Getk: Coastal Fusion and Ancestral Knowledge from a Ts’msyen Kitchen, a new Indigenous cookbook.
Across Canada 📍
The Calgary police are beginning a three‑month trial to see whether remotely operated drones can help officers respond to emergencies.
The president and chief executive officer of a Saskatoon-based mining equipment manufacturer says his company bought extra American steel used in its products before Canada’s counter-tariffs kick in.
Weeks after the death of country music legend Dolly Parton, usage of a Saskatchewan chapter of her literacy organization, The Imagination Library, has risen significantly.
Sports 🏒
The International Wheelchair Basketball Federation World Championships are taking place in Ottawa.
When the Buffalo Bills christen their new US$2.2 billion football stadium later this month, they’ll pay tribute to the city’s long-standing relationship with Canada by having the Barenaked Ladies perform O Canada.
Hockey Canada has unveiled a brand-new jersey for the 2026-27 season, with the iconic Hockey Canada crest returning to the front of the national jersey.
Politics 🧑⚖️
Canada and Ukraine have signed a long-term strategic and political partnership that lays the foundation for the construction of millions of drones to defend both countries.
Prime Minister Mark Carney gathered his cabinet ministers in Banff, AB, for closed-door meetings as U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war intensifies.
Canadian citizenship certificate applications are now facing nearly 3-year delays.
Made in Canada
Ganong began in 1873 when brothers James and Gilbert Ganong opened a grocery business in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. After struggling to make the store work, they began producing candy, which quickly became the more successful part of the business.
By 1876, they had expanded into confectionery manufacturing, laying the foundation for one of Canada’s oldest chocolate companies. Ganong introduced “Chicken Bones” (chocolate in a hard cinnamon shell) in 1885 and later helping popularize the heart-shaped chocolate box.
The company has remained closely connected to St. Stephen, which became known as “Canada’s Chocolate Town.”
Today, Ganong is still family-owned and operates from New Brunswick.
This is not sponsored. This brand learned we profiled them the same time you did.
Also see Tod and Jocelyn’s Buy Canada projects: Main Street Canada and Unplug America