The Decline and Fall of Keewatin; or The Free-Trade Redskins is an 1876 novella written and illustrated by Canadian political cartoonist John Wilson Bengough. It satirises multiple prominent politicians, scandals, and topics of the day, through a parodical lens in which they are portrayed as events surrounding an ancient First Nations civilisation that predated Canada by thousands of years.
Characters[]
Listed in order of appearance:
- Lionunikorn: The Great Hunter from which the Kanuck Nation descended: possibly King George III, possibly John Bull
- Big-Push: Head of the Puritees; aka George Brown
- Clean-Hands: Head of the Toerees; aka Sir John A. Macdonald
- Goldwing-Arrow: Most skilled marksman of the nation, and leader of the Beavers; possibly Sir Goldwin Smith
- Cute-Eagle: Chief of the Spread Eagles, who wishes to ensure the Kanucks purchase only baskets made by the Spread Eagles and not make their own; composite President of the United States
- Great Mother of the Trading Bulls: Ruler of the land of the Trading Bulls, from across the river, progenitors of the Kanuck Nation; Queen Victoria
- Lordelgin: Representative of the Great Mother; James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin
- Slippery-Fish: A "cunning brave" who lived in the wigwam of Cute-Eagle; Hamilton Fish
- Windward Frank: "Wise money man" of Clean-Hands; Sir Francis Hincks
- Steamboat-Hugh: Someone with whom Clean-Hands got in trouble; Sir Hugh Allan
- Gritty-Sand: "Brave fighter on the war-path", but an inferior to Big-Push: Alexander Mackenzie
- Rib-Stabber: "Fierce young brave" of the Toeree tribe
- Smooth-Scalp: Captive from the Koknees tribe, give as servant to Gritty-Sand
- Wild-Wind: Great medicine man; Sir Charles Tupper
- Cartwheel-Dick: Puritee warrior; Sir Richard John Cartwright
- Shifting-Aurora: Noble young warrior, formerly of the Beavers, stolen by Big-Push
- Talking-Mill: "wise pale face" who advised the construction of a wall to allow for better trading; possibly John Stuart Mill
- White-Quill, Jr.: "voluble young brave of the Toeree camp" who helped Clean-Hands on his campaign
- The-Early-Duffer: Chief of all the Kanucks; Lord Dufferin
- Working-Ox: Kanuck from the Mountain Wigwam
- The Cobden: Someone who taught the Trading Bulls, and had taken more scalps that Talking-Mill; Richard Cobden
- Bun-Stir: "Toeree brave"
Real life events referenced[]
- Signing of the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854
- Alabama Claims and the Treaty of Washington
- The Pacific Scandal
- Visit by George Brown to the United States
- Macdonald's campaigning on the National Policy
- Panic of 1873 and the Long Depression
Reception[]
"The Decline and Fall of Keewatin" was consulted but not cited by Loretta Faith Balisch in her 1994 essay on Canadian humour, "Scrub Growth: Canadian Humour to 1912:—An Exploration".[1]
Links[]
- The Decline and fall of Keewatin, or, The free-trade redskins : a satire / illustrated by J W Bengough on Canadiana
References[]
- ↑ SCRUB GROWTH: CANADIAN HUMOUR TO 1912--AN EXPLORATION - Loretta Faith Balisch - Collections Canada - Retrieved 20 June 2021