American attempts to bring Canada into the independence movement assumed that Canadians would welcome the change. In this interpretation, French Canadians had particular reasons to prefer the existing arrangement. British government offered protection against English-speaking neighbours whose influence they feared. An appeal framed as liberation could therefore conflict with the interests of the people it sought to attract.
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French Canadian concerns about losing British protection
French Canadian concern about losing British protection is offered as one explanation for resistance to American appeals for independence.