Confederation of Canada 1850-1890

• Unit 1 explores the creation of Canada from 1850-1890, focusing on continuity, change, causes, consequences, and historical significance.
• The central question: success of Confederation in unifying Canada?

Confederation of Canada

• July 1867: Some British North American colonies united to create the Dominion of Canada.
• Confederation involved challenges due to the unique needs/concerns of each colony/territory.
• Canada Day is celebrated every July 1st with ceremonies, parades,concerts, light show, and fireworks display.
• Unit explores events/discussions leading to Confederation, its effects on various groups, and assesses its success in unifying Canada.

Unit 1 Timeline: 1850-1890

• 1850: United States passes Fugitive Slave Act; Black people use Underground Railroad to escape slavery in Canada.
• 1867: Three colonies form Dominion of Canada through Confederation.
• 1869: Métis establish provisional government with Louis Riel as president.
• 1870: Federal government passes Manitoba Act.
• 1875: Jubilee Riots, conflict between Protestants/Catholics in Toronto.
• 1877: Sir John A. Macdonald introduces National Policy.
• 1878: Blackfoot Treaty becomes Treaty 7.
• 1885: Battle of Batoche between government troops/Métis.
• 1890: Public Schools Act passed in Manitoba.

Demographics

• 1871: Estimated Canadian population - 3,736,904.
• Approx. 30,000-40,000 Black people migrated to British North America via the Underground Railroad.
• Over 17,000 Chinese people arrived to assist with the Canadian Pacific Railway (1881-1884).
• 30,000 workers spent 4.5 years constructing 3200 km of railway track.

Unit 1 Challenge: Editorial

• Editorial to address: "How successful was Confederation at unifying Canada?", supported by evidence.
• Focus on Confederation causes/consequences + impact on a chosen group.
• Historical thinking required: What caused the events of Confederation? What were its consequences, long-lasting effects?
• Research needed: gather evidence from sources, check validity.
• Perspective: examine various groups/perspectives, use evidence to support opinion.
• Conclusion: Evaluate success of Confederation in unifying selected group, support with evidence.
• Use a log book to record information about Confederation effects, which will help you write your editorial.

Chapter 1 Overview: Life in British North America 1850-1864

• Chapter explores life in British North America from 1850-1864 + how it was changing.

Learning Goals for the topic

• Explain British North America's composition/diversity in mid-1800s.
• Analyze opportunities/challenges people faced.
• Evaluate significant issues.
• Create/analyze trade flow maps.

Changes in British North America

• Mid-1800s: significant changes in British North America.
• New tech altered producing/distributing goods.
• Steamships/railways increased efficiency.
• Factories increased output.
• Populations boomed.
• Cities expanded due to internal migration/immigration.
• Increased resource demand to support growing pop/industries.
• Aboriginal peoples were displaced by settlers/government policies.

Atlantic Colonies: Shaping Factors

• British North America in 1850: colonies/territories under British gov/Hudson's Bay Company
• Atlantic colonies included: Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia.
• Farther inland were Canada East (Québec), Canada West (Ontario).
• Northwest region, New Caledonia: governed by Hudson's Bay Company.
• Britain formed colonies/territories on Aboriginal lands, often displacing inhabitants.
• Distances affected relations between colonies/territories.

Economy Differences

• Newfoundland economy: fisheries.
• Prince Edward Island economy: agriculture.
• Nova Scotia: shipping/coal mines.
• New Brunswick: forestry/shipbuilding.
• Shipbuilding in New Brunswick/Nova Scotia: Ships carried goods worldwide.

Building Industries and Fortunes

• Mid-1800s: booming industry in Atlantic colonies.
• Working/middle class faced survival struggles.
• Merchants/shipbuilders built successful businesses -> wealthy upper class.
• Joseph Salter, a New Brunswick businessman/politician, owned major shipbuilding company in 1850s.
• 1855: Salter was elected Moncton's first mayor
• 1859: Salter went into mining.

Producing Goods

• Mid-1800s: ports thrived in Atlantic colonies.
• Shipbuilding aided lumber, iron, coal industries in New Brunswick.
• Marco Polo: fastest ship, breaking record in 1852 trip to Australia.
• Ships mattered a lot to Atlantic colonies.

Farming and Fishing Challenges

• Mid 1800's PEI: ⅓ farmers owned their land,tenant farmers paid landlords rent.
• Some disagreements happened when landlords tried to remove tenant farmers behind on dues.
• Newfoundland: fishing families were often indebted to wealthy merchants.
• Merchants controlled industry by controlling the fishing catch.

Shifting Trade Relations

• Early 1800s: Goods from Atlantic colonies went to Britain, USA, West Indies, Latin America.
• US railway boom of 1850s increased need for goods from Atlantic colonies.
• 1854: Reciprocity Treaty with the United States allowed free trade of natural resources/agricultural products.
• US Civil War (1861-1865): increased need for Atlantic colony products.
• 1865: The US ended Reciprocity Treaty, heavily taxed goods from Britain.

Flow Maps in Trade

• Movement of goods using arrows.
• Width shows quantity of movement.
• Used to show direction/quantity of timber-related goods out of Atlantic colonies (1850).
• Total export value to the United States shifted from 1854 (Treaty signing) to 1865 (Treaty end).

Working-Class Children

• Most children in the 1800s had to work.
• Was harder and more dangerous compared to today.
• As demand increases, children worked longer in dangerous workplaces.
• Children did adult work for less pay on farms, mills, factories, and mines.
• Britain banned child labor in mining jobs, British North America did not.
• Children as young as 7/8 were sent to work, 15% of Nova Scotia's coal miners were children.
• Girls cleaned/prepared fish, looked after siblings, and cooked.

Martin Butler's Experience

• Born 1857 in New Brunswick, youngest of 11 in a working-class family.
• Worked with family -> could not sustain a living, then he worked in lumber.
• Butler assisted in making shingles for roofs from timber discards because there was no lumber work.
• Butler became a household servant and store clerk ages 11.
• He lost his arm in equipment accident at 18, became poet/printer, did other jobs.

First Nations Territory Loss

• Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy signed Peace/Friendship deals with British officials + retained rights to hunt/fish.
• Immigrants expected cheap/free land.
• Gov did not protect First Nations land reserves of Chief Noel Briot.
• Colonists benefitted from industries set up on First Nations land but didn't offer job opportunities.
• Local First Nations people sold maple syrup, berries, baskets, etc, to colonists.
• *Historical Insight: Mi'kmaq Chief Noel Briot asked the government to stop selling land to the point of causing extreme poverty.

French Majority in Canada East

• 1800s: Canada East - French-speaking Canadiens (descendants of New France settlers).
• English people dominated Montreal/Quebec City.
• Business thrived for some, wages low for Canadien workers.
• Catholic cathedral construction in Montréal shown in 1870, in English-speaking area, had symbolic meaning.

Seigneurs and Land Ownership

• Seigneurs (ex: Papineaus) owned vast land, rented to farmers.
• Unfair system -> Canadiens sold land to Papineaus cheaply for smaller part of price -> this was the society.

Declining Farm Life

• Each time parents of farming family pass away, the land splits and decreases per person.
• Limited farming wages led Canadiens towards lumber industry -> workers competed for jobs + wages went down.
• The habitants were falling deeper in debt every year.

Canadien Migration

• Unpaid debts forced many to give up farming + move to cities (20% by 1867).
• Migration trend -> number of jobs decreased in the cities.

Quebec Women Workforce

• In the past, women helped with the house in the family, farm, cook etc to help but didn't get paid.
• 1800's -> loss of farms forces many women to factories -> 20% manufacturing workforce in 1871.
• 80 percent in the clothing work force -> women/children. Also in laundries, private homes, mines.
• Received much less paid than male farmers.
• Women did work such as teaching as well.

Formulate Questions

• Every inquiry begins with a question.
• Good questions are meaningful to us
• Can be opened ended

Historical thinking in British America

• Act Of Union -> British politicians dominated -> intended to assimilate French people -> British culture.
• Canadiens retaliated through the effort to protect French culture and nationalism
• Lord Metcalfe: abandoning nationalism would lead to Canadien approval
• Several led Canadian nationalism
• Catholic church encouraged it.
• Also, Church Leaders made more money -> Wealthy.
• New Class of Canadian artist emerged.
• Montferrand: inspired Canadiens and reminded of early culture.

Canada West

• Between the 1840-1860, people settled in Canada West
• New system changed from settlement -> lively network of farms,cities, and towns?

Introduction of Railway System.

• Inventions benefit from others to transport goods.
• Canada switched transport to rail -> railway connects Canada west and east

Rural Town & Cities.

• Toronto and Brantford became towns because of expansion.
• As Railways increased , small towns offered services -> Farmers

New Opportunities

• Economic Increase -> opportunities for people
• Thornton/blackburn became penniless -> were able to save money to set up their own bussiness (Cab)

Growth changes in Population.

• Population in Canada tripled
• New arrivals from British.
• Irish came in great numbers becoming largest ethnic sector

Irish Catloics & The Orange Order

• Societes between Irish Catholics and Irish Protestants
• Order=founded by Irish Protestants
• Strongly influenced politics, policing, and firefighting

Underground Railroad

• Helped escaped black people avoid the slave trade -> the Act
• Harriet Tubman = conudctor

Farming & Industry

• Tech to make farming easy
• Entrepreneurs manufactoring farm machinary

Archaeology

• Frost uncover lost
• Blackburn house foundation dug.

Farming -> First Nation

• Misisaua first
• New Comers -> Wanted Land = Indian not happy