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From: clarke@utcsri.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.francais
Subject: Re: le monde nouveau
Message-ID: <5147@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jul-87 10:57:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsri.5147
Posted: Tue Jul 28 10:57:22 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Jul-87 04:39:26 EDT
References: <3999@utai.UUCP> <238@Mannix.iros1.UUCP>
Reply-To: clarke@utcsri.UUCP (Jim Clarke)
Distribution: can
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 30
Summary: 

In article <238@Mannix.iros1.UUCP> desmarai@iros3.UUCP (Stephane Desmarais) writes:
>Timothy J. Horton ecrit:
>>J'ai une questionne pour les etudiantes de la histoire:
>>
>>   Why was it that english inhabitation dominated the formation
>>   of the New World, while both French and Spanish forces were
>>   taking chunks at the same time.

I was able to resist commenting on this question when it was first asked, but
no longer....

We in the U.S. and Canada are living in the leftovers after the interesting and
profitable bits were shared between the Spanish and Portuguese.  (Remember your
grade six history?  The pope arranged the split to keep the peace, or something
like that.)

Even now when the richest bits happen to have turned out to be the English and
French bits, it is in no sense the case that they "dominated the formation of
the New World".  Look at area; look at population; ask a Mexican or Brazilian
or Argentinian.  (Wear a fireproof jacket!)

[I realize this isn't exactly can.general material, but should it be in
can.politics instead of can.francais?  Its only relevance here seems to be
that it will inflame English and French historical passions and provoke
culturally interesting reminiscences of primary-school teaching.]
-- 

Jim Clarke -- Dept. of Computer Science, Univ. of Toronto, Canada M5S 1A4
              (416) 978-4058
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