Life in British North America (1850-1890)

• The study sheet provides history quiz notes co-worked on by Kiamehr and Onwoo.
• The notes will be updated until March 18, 2025.

Life in British North America (1850-1890): Canada East (Québec)

• Most people in Canada East lived in small rural villages as farmers under the seigneurial system, renting land from seigneurs.
• Farmers increasingly transitioned to the lumber industry due to the decline of farming.
• By the 1800s, people abandoned farms for factory jobs, impacting Canada East's economic and social makeup.
• Tenant farmers struggled to grow enough food on small plots of land.
• Farmers moved to cities like Montreal and Quebec City for factory jobs but struggled to pay off farming debts.
• Some residents fled to the U.S. in search of work because they could not repay debts.
• Industries such as textiles, shipbuilding, and mining expanded, but English businessmen controlled most businesses.
• Church leaders invested in growing industries like railways, mines, and lumber.
• The population living in cities rose from 5% in 1800 to about 20% by 1867.
• Louis-Joseph Papineau led the 1837 Rebellion fighting for French Canadian rights.
• The Papineau family owned 178,000 acres of land along the Ottawa River.
• François-Xavier Garneau & Philippe-Joseph Aubert de Gaspé wrote books about French Canadian history and folklore.
• Joseph Montferrand was known for fighting British bullies.
• The Act of Union (1840) joined Upper and Lower Canada into one colony, concerning French Canadians due to fears of losing their language and culture.
• The majority of Canada East's population in the 1800s were French speakers, descendants of early French colonists.
• The territories of Canada East were succeeded by present-day Québec.
• Canada East contained rich farmland, especially along the St. Lawrence River.
• Montreal and Quebec City were built near rivers for transportation and trading.
• East Canada consisted of Upper and Lower Canada until the Act of Union in 1840, forming the Province of Canada.

Quebec Women in the Workforce

• Women traditionally made food, clothing, and tools at home.
• As farming declined, many women worked in factories for low pay.
• By the 1860s, women and children made up 30% of Montreal's factory workers.
• Women were teachers, maids, laundresses, and miners, with over 66% of teachers being women.
• Women were paid less than men, and factory work was dangerous.

Life in British North America (1850-1890): Canada West (Ontario)

• Canada West's economy relied on new industries, natural resources, and labor, boosting economic growth.
• Agriculture was the largest industry due to fertile farmland along Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.
• The mill industry grew, turning grain to flour and wool to fabric.
• Railways helped farmers sell crops and boosted trade.
• The Grand Trunk Railway(1853) linked Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto and Sarina.
• In 1861, 31 factories produced farm machinery, reducing the need for imports for farmers.
• 1850 signified expansion of global trade, increase in timber and grain production, railways connecting Montreal, Portland, Maine, Toronto and Collingwood and active work of the St. Lawrence canal.
• Railways and canals connected regions, aided trade, and encouraged Westward Expansion; the the 1854 Reciprocity Treaty opened U.S markets for Canadian goods.
• Immigrants removed forests and then farmed, or worked in the growing industries.
• Thornton Blackburn and other entrepreneurs started businesses; skilled workers found trades.
• Black Americans escaped slavery via the Underground Railroad and settled in Canada West.
• Black communities built schools, churches, and businesses.

Key People and Events in Canada West

• Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada's first Prime Minister, focused on railways, tariffs, and immigration via the National Policy.
• Harriet Tubman led 300 enslaved people to Canada West via the Underground Railroad.
• George Brown was a supporter of the Confederation of Canada.
• By the 1860s, the population of Canada West tripled due to immigrants.
• Conflicts between Irish Catholics and Protestants emerged.
• The Jubilee Riots (1875) signified conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.
• Indigenous leaders resisted land deprivation; Nahnebahwequay helped bands form sustainable farms.

Geography of Canada West

• Canada West consisted of rich farmland near the Great Lakes.
• Southern Canada West had fertile soil, warmer summers and milder winters.
• Northern Canada West consisted of forests and a climate with harsher winters and cooler summers.
• The Ottawa River and the St. Lawrence River served as key rivers for trade.
• Railways helped the cities grow and assisted with easier transport.
• The territories of Canada West were succeeded by Ontario after the Confederation of Canada (1867).

Indigenous People of Canada West

• Indigenous people, like the Mississauga, adopted European farming techniques, which led to tensions.
• The government denied land claims, forcing Indigenous people to abandon territories in 1847.
• Many Indigenous people relied on hunting and small farming.
• Treaties in the early 1800s led Indigenous Mississauga to give up land for goods and fishing rights.

Life in British North America (1850-1890): Northwest and Pacific Coast

• Gold was found in British Columbia in 1858, causing a gold rush.
• To prevent Americans gaining all of the gold, the British declared it a British territory.
• Disturbance of Aboriginal territory due to immigrants disturbed their peace.
• Gold rush became the main source for BNA's economy.
• The gold rush ended in 1860, rendering several miners jobless.
• Base, coal, copper, fishing, lumbering and silver mining became popular.
• In 1865, the U.S ended the Reciprocity Treaty(1854) and taxing products to create cheaper US products.
• Unemployed Chinese miners became cheap BNA labor and abandoned First Nations land with no repercussions.

Key People & Events of the Northwest and Pacific Coast

• The Red River Settlement was formed with settlers.
• Louis Goulet traded and traveled around the Red River Settlement.
• The governor, James Douglas, tried to maintain the peace and tried to incorporate Black Americans.
• The smallpox epidemic (1862) killed 64% of Vancouver Island inhabitants.
• The Fraser Canyon War was a clash due to gold miners encroaching on First Nations land.
• David Oppenheimer was a local politician.
• Mifflin Gibbs & Peter Lester opened a store that rivalled Hudson's Bay Company.

Geography of the Northwest and Pacific Coast

• It consisted of mountains, forests, fjords along the Pacific coast.
• The Fraser River was a major waterway.
• A sparse population, consisted of Metis, Cree, Blackfoot, and Dene and Scottish and British settlers.
• The British influence was strengthened British Columbia was formed.
• The Northwest had harsh winters with summers and mild, wet climates near the Pacific.
• The Northwest and the Hudson's Bay Company controlled most of the lands, influenced by the Fur Trade.

Indigenous People of the Northwest and Pacific Coast

• Aboriginal populations outnumbered the Europen populations by 100 to 1.
• There were 140,000 Indigenous and 10,000 European descent people.

Life in British North America (1850-1890): Atlantic Colonies

• In New Brunswick, lumber, iron, and coal benefited shipbuilding.
• Nova Scotia had shipbuilding and coal mines
• PEI had agrcultural resources but 1/3 of farmers owned land and tenants paid rent.
• NF had fishing but families were in debt.
• Most produced goods went to Britain, US, West Indies, and Latin America.
• More popular US railroad led to more good demands for the Atlantic colonies.
• Agricultural good demand again increased with the American Civil War.
• Children worked dangerous jobs at a young age.

Key People and Events of the Atlantic Colonies

• Joseph Salter was a Politician and Business man, being a mayor.
• He became mining executive.
• Martin Butler worked to support is family in a lumber industry.
• He lost his arm at 18.

Geography of the Atlantic Colonies

• They were directly under the of BNA government and explored, claimed and colonized by Europeans with strong fisheries.
• Proviences include New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I and Newfoundland and Labrador.
• While they were getting established, First Nations were displaced
• Current day they are called New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I and Newfoundland and Labrador.

Indigenous People of the Atlantic Colonies

• The Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, and Passamaquoddy signed the Peace and Friendship Treaties which gave fishing and hunting rights.
• The Great Migration of Canada impacted the Atlantic colonies.
• The government valued immigrnats more compared to protecting reserving land for First Nations.
• Chief Noel Briot asked to but British denied stating First Nations were not valuable settlers.
• They were barely offered industrial opportunities and harvested maple syrup and berries selling them to colonists.

Important Historical Events

• Act of Union (1840): Upper and Lower Canada merged into the Province of Canada, causing fear of cultural loss due to English control.
• Gold Rush (1858): British Columbia saw a population boom, forcing off Indigenous peoples.
• 1837 Rebellions: French and English reformers fought against British control,leading to government changes.
• Reciprocity Treaty (1854–1865): Free trade between British North America and the U.S. boosted economy until its ending.
• Confederation (1867): Joined colonies, creating the Dominion of Canada which leads to an economic growth and protection from expansion.

Vocubulary

• Seigneur: landowner for parcels of land for farmers.
• Assimilate: to being to conformity of customs of group.
• Nationalism: Desire for those to create and independent nation.
• Abolitionist: Someone to end slavery.
• Metis: first nations with european.
• Aboriginal: legal for title recognisation.