Canadian History: Industrial Revolution to Confederation

Industrial Revolution

• Marked a significant shift in production methods and employment.
• Led to the growth of Canadian industries and a rise in demand for labor.
• Contributed to Canada's urbanization, industrialization, and connectivity.
• Introduced challenges like labor disputes and negative impacts on Indigenous peoples.

Klondike Gold Rush

• Characterized by a surge of people seeking gold in the Yukon (1896).
• Fueled Canada's expansion, boosted its economy, and shaped public perception.
• Had detrimental effects on Indigenous populations due to resource exploitation.

Canadian Confederation Proposal (1867)

• Unified several British North American colonies to create the Dominion of Canada.
• Marked a crucial step towards Canada's formation.

Quebec Resolution

• Outlined the framework for Canada's constitution during the Quebec Conference.
• Served as the foundation for Canada's governing principles.
• Acknowledged and included Aboriginal and treaty rights.

BNA Act 1867

• Established Canada's original constitution.
• United the territories of Canada, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single dominion.

Section 91 and 92

• Section 91: Parliament's exclusive jurisdiction over marriage, divorce.
• Section 92: Provincial legislatures' jurisdiction.

Coalition Government

• Formed through cooperation between different political parties to gain parliamentary confidence.
• Aimed to unite the Atlantic provinces to establish a federal system in Canada.

Minority Government

• A government formed when no single party commands a majority in Parliament.

Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)

• A transcontinental railway connecting major ports on the east and west coasts of North America.
• Provided competitive rail service across North America, connecting markets globally.
• Played a vital role in Canada's development.

Four Parties of the Canadian Government

• Rouge (Antoine Aimé)
• Bleu (George-Étienne Cartier)
• Conservative (John A. Macdonald)
• Reform (George Brown)

North-West Mounted Police (NWMP)

• Established by an act of Parliament (1873).
• Created to enforce law and order in Western Canada.

Numbered Treaties

• A series of 11 treaties signed between Indigenous peoples and the Canadian government (1871-1921).
• Facilitated the opening of the West to settlement.
• Established connections between British Columbia and Central Canada.
• Intended to assimilate Indigenous peoples into mainstream Canadian society.

National Policy

• A central economic and political strategy (1878-WWII).
• Imposed high tariffs on foreign imports to protect Canadian manufacturers.
• Led to infrastructure development, tariff implementation, and population growth.

Indian Act

• Regulated the lives of registered Indigenous people and reserve communities.
• Extinguished Indigenous self-governance structures.
• Resulted in long-term issues including poverty, marginalization, and violence.

Homesteading

• Distribution of public land to settlers for development and cultivation.
• Fueled immigration to Western Canada.
• Positive and negative impacts influenced Canadian society, economy, and culture.

Head Tax

• Fee imposed on Chinese immigrants to enter Canada, creating a barrier to immigration.
• Aimed at restricting immigration from specific groups.

Komagata Maru

• Ship carrying Punjabi immigrants faced exclusionary immigration policies in Vancouver (1914).
• Provoked a strong anti-Asian backlash and challenged Canada's restrictive immigration laws.

Immigration Act of 1910

• Expanded prohibited immigrant categories and increased government discretion in immigration decisions.
• Sharply reduced immigration and favored immigrants from Northern/Western Europe.

Red River Resistance

• Métis formed a provisional government to negotiate Manitoba's entry into Confederation.
• Led to the creation of Manitoba and the emergence of Métis leader Louis Riel.

Unions

• Organized labor groups advocating for better wages and working conditions.
• Improved workers' lives and labor conditions.

John A. Macdonald

• First Prime Minister of Canada and a key figure in Confederation.
• Played a dominant role in Canadian politics for decades.

George-Étienne Cartier

• Co-premier of the Province of Canada.
• Role in integrating French Canada, Manitoba, and British Columbia into the Dominion.

George Brown

• Canadian journalist, politician, and Father of Confederation.
• Played a role in resolving political deadlock through reform party demands for representation.

Antoine-Aimé Dorion

• Lawyer, politician, and judge opposing Confederation.
• Concerns about Confederation's potential impact on French Canadian identity and culture.

Fathers of Confederation

• British North American leaders involved in the Confederation process.
• Represented colonial interests at the conferences.

Louis Riel

• Métis leader central to the Red River and North-West resistance.
• Led movements to defend Métis rights and interests against the Canadian government.

Hugh Allan

• Factory owner, shipbuilder, and influential railway promoter with government connections.
• Involved in the scandal regarding the Canadian Pacific Railway contract.

Alexander Mackenzie

• Fur trader, explorer, and Liberal party leader.
• Continued nation-building initiatives.

Red River

• Important trade route linked with fur trading and Métis community establishment.
• Crucial to the settlement of British North America.

Joseph Howe

• Nova Scotia journalist, publisher, politician, and premier.
• Advocate for freedom of the press and prominent opponent of Confederation in its initial stages.
• Played a role in securing Manitoba's entry into Confederation.

Thomas Scott

• Irish immigrant to Canada (1863) and laborer on the Dawson Road Project.
• Execution divided Canadian politics, impacting francophone sentiments toward the federal Conservative government.

Clifford Sifton

• Played a crucial role in populating Western Canada through land advertisement.

Bonanza Creek

• Gold strike site (1896) initiating the Klondike Gold Rush.

Entrepreneurs

• Individuals who organize and operate businesses, assuming significant financial risk.

Members of Parliament

• Representatives elected to represent their constituencies in Parliament.
• Typically form parliamentary groups (caucuses) based on political affiliation.

Temperance Society

• Early 19th-century reform movement advocating for limited or prohibited consumption of alcoholic beverages.
• Influenced local government decisions regarding alcohol sales.

Suffragette Society

• 20th-century activist women's organizations advocating for voting rights in the UK.

Britain: External Cause for Confederation

• Britain sought to reduce colonial involvement due to costs and time commitment.

United States: External Cause for Confederation

• U.S. ambition for expansion and potential takeover of Canadian territories.

Political Deadlock in Canada

• Political disagreements and oppositions prevented effective government action.

Conferences (Charlottetown & Quebec)

• Facilitated communication and agreement on federal union among colonial delegates.

Colonies' Resistance to Confederation

• Concerns over representation, self-governance, and tax burdens.

CPR Scandal

• Accusations of bribery and corruption in the granting of the CPR construction contract.

Immigration to Canada (Late 1800s)

• Enticed by accessible transportation, free land, safety, and employment opportunities.

Gold Rush Impact on First Nations

• Opened territories for white settlement, leading to resource exploitation and Indigenous displacement.

Worker Conditions (1850s-1910s)

• Harsh and dangerous conditions in factories, often with limited worker protections.

Bicycles and Controversy (Late 1800s)

• Viewed as controversial due to safety concerns and perceived moral implications.

Accidents and Their Causes (1870s-1910s)

• Poor work conditions, inadequate infrastructure/designs, and faulty materials contributed to accidents.

Canadian Immigration Policies (East Asian Workers)

• Driven by racial and economic concerns, leading to limitations/exclusion of East Asian workers in various ways including the creation of the head tax.

Confederation

• Joining of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada to create the Dominion of Canada (1867).
• Indigenous peoples excluded from negotiations.

Most Important Change in Canadian History

• (Opinion) Confederation, forming the Dominion of Canada uniting colonies into a single nation.

First Nations/Métis Impact

• (Significant) Adverse effects resulting from colonization, Confederation, and related events. This included loss of land, rights, restrictions, and assimilation efforts.

Christian Perspective

• Christians played diverse roles in shaping the 19th century. Engaged with faith principles, social justice, the spread of Gospel, and addressing societal issues while grappling with societal change.

Explore the pivotal events that shaped Canada, from the Industrial Revolution's impact on labor and urbanization to the significance of the Klondike Gold Rush. Understand the Canadian Confederation proposal of 1867 and the Quebec Resolution's role in forming the nation's constitution and recognizing Indigenous rights. Test your knowledge of these transformative milestones in Canadian history.