The Battle on the Plains of Abraham and the birth of Canadian inclusiveness

Background

Informations
Read the Globe & Mail editorial, When Canadian Inclusiveness Began, The Globe & Mail, Sep. 14, 2009 (See Attachment). In one word processed document, provide the following details and answer these questions. Your answers should be detailed and written with complete sentences and paragraphs. 

If it wasn't for the controversy, tomorrow's 250th anniversary of the Battle on the Plains of Abraham might go entirely unnoticed. There have been no stamps, no coins and almost no recognition from Ottawa that anything important might have happened on Sept. 13, 1759.

This official disregard for the Battle of Quebec, born of a fear of angering a few perpetually aggrieved separatists, is unfortunate. Not only does it represent a crucial moment in the modern history of Canada but, more importantly, it marks the birth of the great Canadian spirit of cultural accommodation.

From a purely historical perspective, it is impossible to ignore the significance of the battle. It settled, once and for all, the question of which crown would control Canada. Further, the cost of winning the war proved so onerous for the British treasury that it necessitated a host of new taxes on American colonies - setting in motion the events of 1776. The trajectories of both Canada and the United States were determined that day.

More than the historical fact of Canada was decided on the battlefield, however. Our character was defined there as well.
In draft articles of capitulation drawn up before the battle, the victor, Major-General James Wolfe, sketched a new model of British occupation. Despite his reputation as a brutal military leader, Maj.-Gen. Wolfe was prepared to preserve Quebec's unique cultural character and population.

"There shall be no innovations in religious matters or any interruption of Divine Service, as it is now preach'd in the Colony," he wrote. Such generosity had not been found at the fall of Louisbourg a year earlier, where the British razed the city and expelled the citizenry. Maj-Gen. Wolfe's more liberal position has proven enduring. It defined the official surrender of Quebec City after his death, as well as the capitulation of Montreal a year later. It found its way into the Royal Proclamation of 1763 and, later, Canada's Constitution.

This was not an arrangement inspired entirely by generosity. The British army hoped to avoid the hassle of becoming an occupying force. Co-operation was far more appealing than further confrontation. After the battle, French hospitals served the wounded from both sides, with bilingual British soldiers conscripted as orderlies.

Of course not every French habitant willingly accepted British rule, just as today many Quebec nationalists still cling to an emotional connection with the Conquest, in spite of more rational arguments.

Nonetheless, the events of Sept. 13, 1759 and its immediate aftermath marked the origin of minority rights and religious freedom in Canada, as well as the acknowledgment that governing this diverse country requires an appreciation for what may be possible, given the circumstances. It is certainly cause for commemoration.

Questions

1.What is the main point (thesis/argument) of the article or editorial?  (one sentence)

2.  Which political issues can you identify? [Look for examples where power is used to change people’s action s or behaviour, and/or examples of conflict over resources or values.]

3.  How have the historical events depicted in the article influence Canadian society?

4.  As a result of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, and the takeover of North America by the British, who were the winners and the losers?  What did they win or lose? Provide an example of each.