Canadian Confederation: Key Events

• The colonies of British North America united in July 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada, an event known as Confederation.
• The unification of different colonies and territories presented challenges due to their unique needs and concerns.
• Canada Day is celebrated on July 1st with ceremonies, parades, concerts, and light shows.

Events Leading to Confederation

• The United States passed the Fugitive Slave Act, causing Black people to migrate to British North America via the Underground Railroad.
• Three colonies united under Confederation in 1867 to form the Dominion of Canada.
• The Métis established a provisional government with Louis Riel as president.
• The federal government passed the Manitoba Act.
• Sir John A. Macdonald introduced the National Policy.
• The Battle of Batoche occurred between government troops and the Métis.
• Jubilee Riots broke out between Protestants and Catholics in Toronto.
• The Blackfoot Treaty became Treaty 7 of the Numbered Treaties.
• The Public Schools Act of 1890 was passed in Manitoba.
• The population of Canada in 1871 was 3,736,904.
• Approximately 30,000-40,000 Black people migrated to British North America along the Underground Railroad.
• Over 17,000 Chinese people arrived to construct the Canadian Pacific Railway.
• It took over 30,000 workers 4.5 years to build 3200 km of the railway.

Life in British North America: 1850-1864

• During the mid-1800s, technology changed production and distribution of goods, and inventions like steamships and railways moved goods and people efficiently.
• Cities grew with people moving from the countryside and immigrating from other countries, requiring more resources.
• Aboriginal people were displaced by settlers and government policies.

The Atlantic Colonies

• In 1850, British North America included British-controlled colonies and territories governed by the Hudson's Bay Company.
• The Atlantic colonies were Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, while inland colonies were Canada East (Québec) and Canada West (Ontario).
• The Northwest region and New Caledonia were governed by the Hudson's Bay Company.
• Distances between territories and colonies affected their relations.
• Newfoundland was known for fisheries, Prince Edward Island for agriculture, and Nova Scotia for shipping and coal mines.
• Forestry and shipbuilding were important in the Atlantic colonies.

Building Industries and Fortunes

• Opportunities existed for working-class and middle-class people, but most struggled to get by.
• Merchants and shipbuilders developed successful businesses, creating a wealthy upper class.
• Joseph Salter, a New Brunswick businessman and politician, had a shipbuilding company and was elected mayor of Moncton in 1855.

Producing Goods

• Ports in the Atlantic colonies were busy with industries like lumber, iron, and coal benefiting from shipbuilding.
• The Marco Polo, a ship built in New Brunswick, was known as the fastest ship in the world and made a record-breaking trip to Australia in 1852.

Farming and Fishing

• Prince Edward Island had good agricultural resources, but only one-third of farmers owned their land.
• In Newfoundland, fishing families were often in debt to merchants who controlled the industry.

Changing Trade Relations

• Most goods produced by the Atlantic colonies went to Britain, the United States, the West Indies, and Latin America.
• The Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 allowed free trade between British North America and the United States, increasing trade until the United States ended the treaty due to the American Civil War.

Creating a Flow Map

• Flow maps illustrate the movement of goods or people using arrows to indicate direction and quantity.
• Timber-related goods were mainly exported to Britain and the United States.

Working-Class Children

• Most children had to earn a living from an early age, often performing dangerous work in factories, mills, and mines.
• Conditions were harsh especially compared to today's standards
• In 1866, 449 boys worked in coal mines in Nova Scotia, representing almost 15 percent of the mining workforce.

Martin Butler

• He grew up working and contributing to the family income.
• He worked as a shipbuilder

First Nations Loss of Territory

• The Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, and Passamaquoddy First Nations had signed Peace and Friendship treaties guaranteeing their rights to hunt and fish. But European immigrants disregarded these treaties
• Aboriginal peoples were displaced and rarely offered jobs in the industries that developed on their land.
• Mi'kmaq Chief Noel Briot petitioned the government to stop the sale of land on a reserve, but his plea was rejected.

The Development of French Nationalism

• The Act of Union in 1840 led to English dominance against French which caused French Nationalism
• French nationalism aimed to protect French language, religion, and culture.

The Role of the Catholic Church in Promoting Canadien Identity

• Catholic leaders promoted the French language, gained political influence, and encouraged Canadiens to be leaders of Catholicism.
• The Church invested in industries and founded Laval University in 1852.

Abandoning Farm Life

• Land division among children led to smaller farms that could not support families, causing Canadiens to seek jobs in the lumber industry or migrate to cities or the United States.

The Rise of Canadien Artists

• Writers like François-Xavier Garneau and Philippe-Joseph Aubert de Gaspé created stories about Canadien heroes that reminded the Canadiens of their history.

Changes in Canada West

• Canada West experienced significant growth due to high immigration levels and railway lines

Relationship Between Rural Communities, Towns and Cities

• Brantford and Toronto became centers of commerce, and smaller towns offered services to more rural populations

New Opportunities

• Thornton Blackburn and his family escaped slavery and became successful, opening doors for new settlement to take place

Growth and Changes in Population

• The population tripled mainly as a result of British and Black American settlement

Irish Religious Conflicts

• Conflicts began to grow between Protestants and Catholics and the Orange Order and societies began to arise as well

The Underground Railroad

• Slavery was outlawed in British North America and because of that many sought refuge via the secret network

Harriet Tubman

• She was a conductor on the Underground Railroad and assisted in freeing roughly 300 slaves
• They fled to Canada West

Farming and Industry

• Industries increased and led to many becoming entrepreneurs
• Wheat was a big export

Archaeologist

• Karolyn Smardz Frost is an archaeologist and helped unearth the details on the lives of the Blackburn's
• They escaped slavery and found refuge and success in Canada

Impact on Farming on First Nations

• European style of agriculture took hold
• Ojibwe leaders tried to start farms but government would not allocate the land to them

Settlements of the Red River Area

• The Goulet's account of life in Rupert's Land gives insight into new settlement

The Fraser River Gold Rush

• It caused a huge population boom as people from all over the world came to find gold in the mountains and streams

The impact of the Fraser River Gold Rush on First Nations

• People from all over rushed in and it negatively disrupted their lives by polluting their waters

A Colony of Many Cultures

• Jewish and Black merchants found success in the new territory although Chinese were not welcome

The Smallpox Epidemic

There was spread of the deadly disease.

• This led to to strict enforcements between British settlement