HIST 202 Lecture Notes - Saint Lawrence River, Gregorian Calendar, Smallpox

• School: McGill University
• Department: History
• Course: HIST 202
• Professor: Catherine Desbarats

Document Summary

Hist 202 survey: canada to 1867 (september 12th 2011) There are no written records to reconstruct the history. The words we do have are the words of europeans, people whose texts are ideologically freighted. They describe native society without law, without god, without king (sans loi, sans foi, sans roi). They use what they know to describe what they see. Researchers use archaeological remains, try to recreate native society, past environments, climates. Oral traditions are another way of knowing native culture. Ethno history: archaeologists use historical texts to move backwards, so for example, using missionary texts. The idea of north america is the product of european geography. The first map to include the name america by a german map maker (waldsmueller map 1507). Americo vespucci: vespucci went to check up on colombus and states that this is really a new place. 1582: gregorian calendar (year 0 christ birth) which is an attempt to figure out when easter was.