Little remains to show that the controversial American military leader, Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), lived in Saint John for several years after the American Revolution, except for a plaque on a building in the uptown area of the city. His name became synonymous with treason because of his involvement in an unsuccessful plot to turn over the Continental army’s fortifications at West Point on the Hudson River to the British in 1780, and his later appointment as an officer in the British army. In that capacity, he led successful expeditions against Charleton, South Carolina and New London, Connecticut before leaving American for London. In addition to remaining the worst example of a traitor in American history for United States citizens, Arnold continues to fascinate historians and recently was portrayed in the AMC historical drama Turn, a fictional account of espionage during the American War of Independence.

In this episode, we discuss how historians have portrayed Benedict Arnold and how his early life may have shaped his character and approach to life, which combined a strong sense of personal honour, self-confidence, stubbornness and bravery with a lack of diplomacy and an inability to appreciate politics. The Connecticut-born entrepreneur was an early convert to the protests that led the Thirteen colonies to resist British economic policies in the 1760s and 1770s and eventually take up arms in the quest for independence. Despite only limited militia experience, Arnold emerged as a high-profile combat leader with superb tactical and strategic sense. His role in the capture of Ticonderoga, the invasion of Quebec and the retreat from Quebec early in the war placed him in the centre of the action. His leadership of a small flotilla on Lake Champlain in 1776 was instrumental in delaying a British counter offensive and his aggressive role in the Saratoga campaign the following year not only helped destroy that counter offensive, but also contributed to France joining the war as an ally of the American Patriots. Despite his considerable military contributions, Arnold had enemies in Congress and the Continental army. He was also suffering from battlefield wounds and financial problems. His appointment as military governor of Philadelphia led to his marriage to 18-year-old Peggy Shippen and sent in motion his positive response to British overtures to switch sides. We conclude this Part by exploring why Arnold chose to betray the cause of America independence and what resulted from this fateful decision.

Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-benedict-arnold

In this episode, Mark and Greg have a conversation with Saint John author, Heather McBriarty, on underaged soldiers in the First World War. As in other cities in Canada , Saint John was swept by a wave of patriotism that encouraged many young men to volunteer for the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Much of this patriotism was channeled into support for Great Britain, which most Canadians viewed as the ‘mother country’. More than 600,000 Canadians served in the army, most of whom were posted overseas. Until conscription was introduced late in the war, the Canadian military depended on volunteers and by 1916 these were in short supply.

We start with a tragic incident that underscored the dangers of giving children uniforms, military training and loaded weapons. From there we examine early 20th century attitudes towards childhood, the reasons why the military authorities permitted under-age volunteers, and the problems these youth created within the ranks. Like a number of their older comrades, many child soldiers were physically unfit for duty. In theory, recruits under 18 needed the permission of parents to volunteer; but this rule was often evaded, and proper documentation of age was not always provided- or demanded. Later in the war, the minimum volunteering age was raised to 19-up until this point those under 19 were not supposed be sent to trenches, but 16, 17 and 18 year olds and younger boys-did see action.

Roughly 2,000 child soldiers (meaning under 19) died during the war, with a fatality rate of 10% for those who served overseas. Other came back wounded, disabled or emotionally scarred.

Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-boy-soldiers-of-the-first-world-war

In early Saint John, most years saw an equal number of Protestants and Catholics coming to the city. In the second half of the 1840s, increasing numbers of Catholic immigrants, fleeing the Famine in Ireland, arrived in distress. During ‘Black 47,’ more than 100 vessels brought Irish emigrants to New Brunswick. A record number died at sea enroute to Saint John, in quarantine on Partridge Island, in the alms house, or at an emigrant hospital/sheds on shore. Children who lost one or both parents were placed in a temporary emigrant orphan asylum,

We begin with a discussion of the failure of the potato crop, a staple food for much of Ireland’s population, and its impact on Ireland starting in 1845. A demographic disaster was produced through the combination of contagious diseases, such as typhoid, typhus and dysentery, evictions of tenant farmers by landlords, and mismanagement and neglect by the British government and local authorities. Despite charitable donations from around the world, the provision of some aid, and the actions of some sympathetic landlords, one third of Ireland’s population disappeared within a few short years. Half died, and the other half emigrated to places like the United States and Canada. Most of the those who perished, and those who managed to escape, were Roman Catholic. An Gorta Mór (the Great Famine) produced massive trauma, spurred Irish nationalism and contributed to the ongoing diaspora of the Irish people.

We then examine the immediate impact of the Famine emigration of 1847 on Saint John and area during a period of local economic weakness, outmigration, on-going ethnic and sectarian conflict and animosity against Irish Catholic immigrants. Positive and humanitarian responses to the crisis included medical treatment and the provision of charity; but there were also negative, nativist reactions. We end by discussing the impacts of ‘Black 47’ on Saint John and how it cemented Partridge Island as a place of suffering and tragic loss.

This episode examines one of the darker chapters in the history of New Brunswick and what would become Canada - social violence in Saint John in 1849 that took up to a dozen lives. Join us to hear about what happened on July 12, 1849, when several hundred Orangemen from Saint John, Portland, Carleton and as far away as Woodstock, began to parade towards the Irish Catholic immigrant ghetto of York Point. The marchers, led by a member representing their hero, King William of Orange riding on a horse, were determined to humiliate their enemies, who they regarded as undesirable aliens. The men, women and even the children of York Point were equally determined to keep the intruders off “their ground.”

Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-the-york-point-riot-of-1849

In the summer of 1854, Saint John and the neighbouring town of Portland were hit by cholera, which killed between 1100 and 1500 people. The highest death tolls were among poor and immigrant populations who lived in low-lying tenement districts with poor drainage, limited access to clean drinking water, and primitive methods for disposing of human waste. Although the elderly and very young of the working class were most vulnerable, the disease also affected citizens living in middle class and elite city blocks and even those in rural areas surrounding the city.

In this episode, Mark and Greg discuss how cholera was spread, its effects on those it infected, and how competing theories at the time made things worse.

Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-the-cholera-epidemic-of-1854-1

In our opening podcast episode, we examine the dramatic 1785 provincial election in Saint John, the colony’s largest settlement, which was punctuated by a riot. This contested election, the first in the colony, revealed simmering tensions among the Loyalist migrants that had been imported from New York.

Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-the-1785-election-riot-1

Join us on September 17, 2024 for the first episode of Saint John - Nothing Happened Here.

Many people think that nothing significant ever really happened in Saint John, New Brunswick. This history podcast challenges those thoughts by uncovering little known tales from the city and providing fresh perspectives on the people, places and events of the past.

Mark Allan Greene is a history enthusiast who loves a good story. Greg Marquis is an academic historian who uncovers the past. Together, they bring you Saint John - Nothing Happened Here.