In this last episode of 2024, we explore how Christmas was celebrated in Saint John in during the Victorian era (1837-1901). In this episode, we are honoured to include a discussion with Saint John’s “Mr. Christmas,” local author David Goss, who has published more than twenty books on Saint John and New Brunswick history.

As residents of a British colony, Saint Johners avidly followed trends from the ‘Mother county’, but because of their Loyalist roots and economic, social and cultural connections with the United States, celebrations in the city were also influenced by trends south of the border. Printed material- books, magazines and newspapers- shaped a transatlantic culture of Christmas in the early to mid-Victorian era that emphasized December 25, Christmas Day, as a day for giving gifts and feasting. In the pre-Victorian era, some people exchanged presents as early as December 6; the days after Christmas was for donating to charity or servants and a final party often was held on January 6, the Twelfth Night.

The new approach to Christmas also emphasized domesticity- the family together at home- and was increasingly child centred. Although many people attended religious services on Christmas Day, popular culture, notably the poem A Visit from St. Nicholas (Twas the Night before Christmas) by American Clement Clarke Moore in 1823 and Charles Dicken’s instant class A Christmas Carol (1842), stressed secular themes of childhood innocence, merrymaking, and benevolence. In terms of decorations and rituals, fashion also played a role with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert helping to popularize Christmas trees in the home as early as the late 1840s. Middle-class people on both sides of the Atlantic also adopted or fine tuned other seasonal activities: sending Christmas cards, playing sometimes dangerous parlour games, feasting and in some cases imbibing alcohol to excess, singing Christmas carols (many of which were composed during the 19th century) and taking part in outdoor activities.

Our guest David Goss recalls how Santa Claus was more for children and parents until a department store in the 1880s featured him in its window, causing a sensation. Christmas trees, decorated with burning candles, which could lead to house fires, caught on gradually in Saint John, but commercialization of Christmas was evident early on as merchants realized that there was a market for children’s toys. Unlike more recent times when many Canadians get into the Christmas spirit in early December or even in November, people in Saint John in the 19th century tended to wait until close to December 25 to decorate their houses, shop for presents and special foods and put up Christmas trees. Although there was social pressure to celebrate Christmas in style, many families in a city marked by poverty struggled to match the Victorian middle-class ideal. Despite this, the holiday was no doubt valued by the community.

Show Notes: https://www.nothinghappenedhere.ca/post/except-for-victorian-christmases

This episode examines Arnold’s attempts to set up a business empire in the pioneer colony of New Brunswick, based in the struggling and divided Loyalist town of Saint John from 1785 to 1791. As one of the few prominent residents with money, he bought and sold land, leased or purchased sailing vessels and established trading establishments in Saint John, Fredericton and on Campobello Island. He also advanced credit to customers and suppliers and became a partner with Munson Hayt, a Loyalist who had served in the Prince of Wales Regiment.

Part 2 also examines Arnold’s personal and social life while he resided in Saint John, where he was joined by his wife and small children. The poverty and lack of currency in the fledgling colony led to Arnold resorting to the courts to recover funds from his many debtors-who included members of the elite. Following a fire that destroyed his warehouse and its contents, Arnold’s ill-fated partnership with Hayt led to New Brunswick’s first slander trial in 1791. Following an examination of whether a riot outside Arnold’s King Street residence after the slander trial actually took place, the episode concludes by looking at Benedict Arnold’s legacy in Saint John.

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

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