Catharine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie

Both Catharine Parr Traill and Susanna Moodie were Canada's most important writers of the 19th Century. Both were born in England and they both emigrated from Scotland with their husbands in 1832 to the places now known as backwoods Ontario, near Lakefield.

Firstly, I present Catharine Parr Traill. Catharine was known for her books aimed at giving children a new perspective on life by showing them her books of generosity and good-will. Her books were unique in many ways. One of the ways was when she would take natural history and incorporate lessons on how it was important to be just, civilized and kind people. An example of said books is Happy Because Good. This anthology contained many stories like "The Tame Pheasant" were birds are being linked to a very selfish boy and a very generous one. Catharine's early writing can be clearly represented in Sketches from Nature; or, Hints to Juvenile Naturalists. An autobiography, it shows her readers her discoveries of nature and different references of secondary sources. Catharine at one point had a hard time finding a publisher. Writing a manuscipt for The Backwoods of Canada, Catharine was unable to grab the attention of Britain. However, she was able to grab attention from France. In 1843, a published, French version of The Backwoods of Canada; Let forêts intérieures du Canada, in Paris. Majority of her publishings came in the 1850s in anthologies such as the Garland and Victoria. She soon started writing for the Anglo-American Magazine from 1852-1853. The Maple Leaf published stories for young readers (where her most important piece; The Governor's Daughter; or, Rambles in the Canadian Forest, was published) and she soon published the Female Emigrant's Guide. For many years, Catharine Parr Traill earned venue for her written details of the flora of Canada as well as teaching the youth of her time to be kind, caring and good to all mankind. She died in 1899.

Susanna Moodie wrote books, poems and illustrated sketches for children; like Catharine Parr Traill. One of her most important works, La Bell Assemblée (The Beautiful Gathering), was home to many of her poems and historical tales and her series of sketches called Sketches from the Country which held the home of many bright, eccentric characters while describing folk lore and traditions. Although very similar to Catharine Parr Traill, Susanna was involved in three important projects against black slavery. The first of her projects before leaving Britain at the time was to assist two former West Indian slaves in opening their stories and beliefs for an Anti-Slavery Society. Her other two and written projects were titled The History of Mary Prince and Negro Slavery Described By a Negor: Being the Narrative of Ashton Warner. When the rebellion in Upper and Lower Canada had started, Susanna wrote patriotic poems which were then published in the Palladium of British America in December, 1837. In December 1838, Susanna was asked to write for the magazine Literary Garland, which gave her plenty of excitement. The magazine contained a section called Rounghing It in the Bush and Susanne wrote the chapter titled The Outbreak. Over the thirteen years of Garland's existence, Susanne was a major contributor sending her infamous poems, stories and "Canadian sketches" of flora and fauna. After the success of Roughing It in the Bush she wrote Life in the Clearings and soon after, Garland had come to an end. Writing of flora and fauna and advocating the freedom of Black-Canadians from slavery, Susanna Moodie had an eventful life and died in 1885.