Talk:Pierre-Esprit Radisson

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This article describes the subject as having defected to the English which, as it stands, provides a derogatory view of this person as a "defector." The article omits essential facts and historical background: 1) There was no War to defect from – and French law at the time did not forbid a French person from doing business with the English, Spanish, etc. And, this was a time in history when the Ancien Regime controlled everything for their own financial gain. Radisson went to the "English" because of the greed and ineptitude of the French Aristocracy. To see a proper presentation of ALL the facts, please see the website article written by a qualified Professor of History that includes the passage:

  • Radisson tells of the hard usage he and his brother-in-law suffered when greedy officials confiscated a large part of the furs, threw the older man into jail, and fined both men – presumably for having gone to the west without the governor’s permission.


http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=35174&query=Radisson

Well it's nice that you have finally decided to discuss this with the rest of us. Anyway, I don't mean "defected" in a derogatory way. It just means, they were French, and they collaborated with the English against French interests. I suppose you will object to "collaborated" as well. I guess I am more used to a more neutral definition of "defecting" than the general public understands. Adam Bishop 20:10, 8 Feb 2005 (UTC)