Sample Reflective Paper

Question

Hi, this reflective paper is about the field trip we had last Saturday. I have uploaded essay guide and question set. You will be able to find some information about Fort Langley by searching on the Google and the following pdf URL.(http://best.sd73.bc.ca/pluginfile.php/1273/mod_resource/content/1/Fort%20Langley.pdf) (Sample Reflective Paper) the length of the paper will be between 550-800. In BC, Fort Langley is historically one of the most important places. Please write this paper as if you were there. The pdf URL provided above summarizes pretty much all about the Fort Langley. If you need more information, you can go ahead and google search. Also, make sure to follow MLA writing style and include citation with reference page. We’re using turnitin(I don’t know if you are familiar with it) for plagiarism check and the instructor is really picky on reference and plagiarism so please make sure on them.

Answer

Fort Langley

In the early 1800s, the boundary between the Columbia District and Oregon Country belonging to the British and the Americans respectively had yet to be decided. Seeing the situation at hand, Sir George Simpson, the governor of a well-established fur trading company known as Hudson’s Bay Company, realized that should the wrangles begin, the probability of the Americans losing Oregon to the British would be high if the border was not in line with the Columbian River (Maclachlan 4). Through his company, Governor Simpson decided to construct Fort Langley in 1827 right where the Hudson’s Bay Company was on the south bank of the Fraser River (Thomas and Grill 425). The new location of Fort Langley was strategic as it would guarantee the British security to both sides of the river. (Sample Reflective Paper)

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Three years later, in 1830, Fort Langley had become well-known for exporting salted salmon, shingles, cranberries and cedar lumbar to the islands in Hawaii all the while targeting corporate interests. Soon after the boundary disputes were settled, Governor Sir James Douglas made Fort Langley the provisional colonial capital in 1846 (Harris 10). As the town grew, Fort Langley became vulnerable to the reset of the world especially at the discovery of gold. It needed to be heavily governed and policed as it faced threats of a Russian and American invasion from the 1850s. Fort Langley operated based on a monopolistic trading theory. All the goods they exported were specific to their region. Even after the emergence of farming as a major source of their trading goods, the monopoly continued to exist.

According to Wayne Warry, understanding the First Nations and their aboriginal issues was key to surviving or running a successful center in a new location (Warry 13). Previously home to the Matsqui, Katzie and Kwantien First Nations, Fort Langley had now become home to the biggest trading center yet. While this must have been viewed as an invasion of their cultural land, the locals were treated well by the Company officials who made them their significant trading partners. In addition to being made important trading partners, the establishment of Fort Langley brought about mixed marriages between the company men and the local native women. The employees of the company were from different ethnicities including those from Iroquois, Scotland and Hawaii. Intermarriage brought about linguists, more job opportunities and cultural intermediaries.

After running a successful trading post in Fort Langley, it ceased to be a company post in 1886 mainly because of the river traffic between Fort Yale and Fort Hope and the fact that a new capital was established in Victoria (Maclachlan 4). At last, the company ceased to enjoy monopoly over trade as competition for goods and services emerged.

Before visiting Fort Langley, I did not know that it is known as the birthplace of British Columbia, a fact that I found very fascinating. Beyond that is the rich history behind Fort Langley. The story behind Fort Langley is indeed similar to most regarding cities or countries that were colonized and reformed, but the difference lies in how the First Nations were an integral part of it. I expected that the First Nations and the indigenous people would try and frustrate the efforts of both the British and the Americans. Instead, they accepted their new lives and new rule and made it their objective to see Fort Langley become a huge trading center. Therefore, nothing is impossible if one has the will to do it.

Works Cited

Harris, Cole. “The Fraser Canyon Encountered.” BC Studies: The British Columbian Quarterly 94 (1992): 5-28. Print.

Maclachlan, Morag. “The Founding of Fort Langley.” British Columbia History 32.4 (1999): 4. Print.

Thomas, D. J., and E. V. Grill. “The effect of exchange reactions between Fraser River sediment and seawater on dissolved Cu and Zn concentrations in the Strait of Georgia.” Estuarine and Coastal Marine Science 5.3 (1977): 421-427. Web.

Warry, Wayne. Ending denial: Understanding Aboriginal issues. University of Toronto Press, (2008): 10-23. Print.