3. The Tipping Point of 1791

Benchmarks are tipping points in history and 1791 changed everything for Canada

Updated: January 14, 2024

Benchmarks are aids to memory. Your car keys get hooked on the same rack by the door every time you come into the house after a drive to get gas or groceries. The key hook is a benchmark as a memory aid.

I found benchmarks useful when I studied the Reformation. As a memory aid, I selected 1525, although other dates could have been chosen. As an entirely arbitrary date, it proved helpful in putting events in context. For my purposes, that year proved pivotal in the story of the Reformation.

Tipping points change societies 

Society pivots around tipping points. They are epochs around which a society changes into usually unexpected directions. 

History never happens in the moment. It is just called “Life.” People get out of bed in the morning, go about their business, do things, and then at the end of the day, flop back into bed. Small changes affect society. Sometimes changes happen quickly; other times changes take months or even years before everyone realizes soci…