Colonists and Contradictions

Gunboat Diplomacy

The colonial government's use of gunboats to enforce the evacuation of Natives from Victoria during the smallpox epidemic had clear precedents. The H.M.S. Grappler and H.M.S. Forward had been originally built to fight the Russians; when that war ended the ships were kept to protect British colonies from the Natives and the Americans. They patrolled the coast of what is now British Columbia, and could fire their guns in warning, flog people for petty crimes, seize canoes, take hostages, and employ Natives. Although they would only use force if pressure did not work, their psychological effect on the Natives was immense. Through gunboats, the colonial government could impose its will all along the coast.¹⁶ It had also used gunboats in an unsuccessful attempt to chase Natives out of Victoria prior to the smallpox epidemic.¹⁷

Although patronizing, some colonists did mean well. The people of Victorian Britain thought it was their duty to civilize the "savages." To do this, they had to impose Victorian laws (in this case using gunboats) and morals on them. This was not just an issue of race; there was a similar sentiment among reformers in London towards the lower classes.¹⁸

Colonists and Contradictions