Little Big Things

Peace, order, and good government. This may not be a slogan you've heard before, but it's one that is, surprisingly, quite significant to Canadian history. Versions of it have appeared in Acts of Parliament affecting Canada's administration as a British colony since the mid-18th century and its current iteration was included in the British North America Act of 1867 (a.k.a. the Constitution Act, 1867 ) that established Canada as an independent nation - the very point in history that we now celebrate, understandably, as Canada Day. Now, in its original context, "Peace, order and good government" was an expression of political authority. It was initially a formal concession from the British government allowing colonial governments to enact their own laws, then became an authorization for the federal government to do so for the newly-independent nation as a whole. However, when I hear that statement, federal parliamentary politics...really isn't what comes to mind...

Wine bottle seals bearing the coat of arms of the Marquis de Beauharnois, Governor General of New France from 1726 to 1746, excavated at the Château Saint-Louis Before anyone asks, no, I haven't had the chance to visit Québec again recently. I would love to, of course - especially given the new knowledge and discoveries that I plan to share with you today - but for the time being, this "revisit" of Québec's Château Saint-Louis (my first visit to which is documented  here ) is purely figurative. This story begins with two websites I came upon by chance whilst browsing through my Pinterest feed early this year:  Furnishing New France  and its associated blog . Both of these are the work of one Philippe Halbert, who has drawn upon primary source records (more on that below) to piece together the material culture of the social and political elite in New France: many of whom would have been based in the capital city of Québec, including at Saint-Louis. Needless to say, I ...