Building a Nation

1
Building a Nation

• 1840-1867

2
Review

• The rebellions of 1837 slowed the flow of people
  wanting to settle in Upper Canada.
• Soon after the rebellions had settled, people
  flocked to this area by the thousands.
• This allowed for the English speaking population
  to soon outnumber that of the French.
• This being the case, the French began to create
  political parties to protect French interests.
• They believed that the language and culture was
  under attack by British government.
• Lord Durham Report recommending that English
  culture prevail.

3
Review

• Colonies were urged to join the union to allow
  for English culture and values to be dominate.
• Canada west rapidly grew and was a place for
  opportunity.
• Toronto was a central hub of business.
• British government began to lose some interest
  and amended or canceled laws that gave them
  special benefits over the colonies.
• The British started to not produce finance for
  new project happening in the colonies. The onus
  of finance began to fall on the new colonial
  governments and the developer of the new
  projects.
• Still some opposed to creating and joining a
  union of all the colonies, while others were all
  for it.

4
The Colonies under the Reign of Queen Victoria

• At this time people either struggled or
  prospered.
• If one was rich, had an education, high social
  status, and was know within the community, life
  was good in the colonies.
• With no income tax, it was easy for the rich to
  keep getting richer as Canada approached
  confederation, and after.
• On the other side of those that were rich were
  thousands and thousands that were struggling and
  poor.
• Many Canadians lived below the poverty line and
  lived in nothing more than a 1 or 2 room cottage.

5
The Colonies under the Reign of Queen Victoria

• The rich lived in beautiful houses with servants.
• People worked long hours for little pay and no
  reward.
• Employment insurance, universal health care,
  government assistance, and other programs were no
  existent.
• Many depended on family and the church in times
  of extreme hardship.
• Many of the new immigrants coming to Canada come
  from Ireland and Scotland.
• Many had little to no education and were poor to
  begin with. They come to Canada hoping to
  improve their lives.

6
The Colonies under the Reign of Queen Victoria

• Many immigrants went to Toronto or growing towns
  looking for work as manual laborers, while others
  decided to buy land to farm.
• Land filled with rocks and poor soil was the
  cheapest, and many immigrants bought whatever
  they could afford, and as much as they could.
• Even though immigrants come looking for a better
  life, many still found the hardship of the
  homeland, and faced the same disappointments.
• With the flood of people come different
  religions.
• Irish Catholic, Scots Presbyterians.
• The official religion of the colonies was
  Anglican.
• Most communities had a Catholic, Presbyterian,
  Anglican, and Methodist church.

7
The Colonies under the Reign of Queen Victoria

• Religion become very important to the people of
  the colonies.
• Why would religion have become so important to
  the people of the colonies.
• The church made decisions regarding education,
  schools, community matter, and helped those that
  were destitute.
• Helping the church was a way to give back to the
  community, and also a way of showing your wealth.
• The people that lived under Queen Victoria's
  reign (between 1837-1901) become known as
  Victorians.

8
The Native Peoples under the Reign of Queen
Victoria

• The original people of the land in the colonies
  were the Natives.
• In most cases the natives were forgotten in the
  development of the colonies unless the settlers
  were looking to buy land or labor from the
  natives.
• Some natives began to adjust to the European way
  of life by changing or abandoning their
  traditional ways of life.
• Some began to shop in the local stores or farm
  small crops.
• Even with the pressure to assimilate the natives
  into the White Society, much traditional native
  culture and traditions remained.
• This was a result of elders keeping traditions
  alive and oral histories that have been passed
  down from generation to generation that still
  exist today

9
The Native Peoples under the Reign of Queen
Victoria

• There were land treaties developed to help settle
  land disputes, but most land in the early
  treaties was lost.
• Answer questions 1-3 on page 59. We will discuss
  them in class.

10
Victorian Lifestyle

• Victorian lifestyle come about as a result of
  Queen Victorias reign of the throne of Britain.
• It was her behaviors, tastes, and values about
  life that set the standard for what would become
  known as the Victorian Era.
• It was a standard of life that was believed to be
  superior to others.
• People who lived in Britain were known as
  Victorians, and most who lived in the British
  Empire considered themselves to be the same.
• Victorian lifestyle extended beyond that of the
  British Empire (i.e. United States).

11
Victorian Lifestyle

• The Victorian society was formed around Christian
  belief.
• The people of this era were said to have
  attitude, and they believed in themselves,
  their values, and their beliefs.
• There was a strict moral code that people adhered
  to, and social status become of utmost
  importance.
• A persons social status was mainly determined by
  family lineage and social connections.
• There was high value placed on modesty and
  seriousness in life, even though the era was one
  of opportunist times.
• During this era there were many advances in
  medicine, technology, science, and everything was
  reflected in the lifestyle that most lived.
• You were considered to have won the lottery of
  life if you were born British.

12
Victorian Lifestyle

• Most emigrates come to the colonies trying to
  escape the social class system, but this never
  happened.
• Many middle class people were considered to be
  prudes and snobs.
• The Victorians were very materialistic, and spent
  freely on clothes, homes, and furnishings for
  their homes.
• The church buildings were the center of the
  communities, often being the largest and most
  important buildings.
• Many community events happened at the church or
  on church property.
• Weddings and funerals being huge community
  events, and worked as relationship builders for
  the people within the community.

13
Fashion and Decor

• Appearance was critical to Victorians, and this
  held true with the people in Canada.
• Appearance helped show social status, and values.
• Women wore long dresses with aprons.
• Men wore hats and ties.
• Even laborers dressed formally.
• Wealth people dressed with utmost class
• Men wore long jackets and high stiff collars.
• Women wore long dresses made of the finest cloth,
  high stiff collars, had parasols (fancy
  umbrella), and broad brimmed hats.
• Having a tan was a sign of being in a lower class
  because it was an indication of working outdoors.
• Nobody tried to have a tan, fair and pale skin
  was desired.

14
Fashion and Decor
15
Fashion and Decor

• Large houses were a sign of wealth and status in
  the community.
• The larger and more substantial the house the
  more importance and wealth.
• Larger houses were also needed because large
  families were common.
• It was common to have grandparents living in the
  house along with the families helping staff and
  servants.
• Houses were heated with wood and coal.
• Rooms were small and had doors to keep heat in.
• The décor was full of heavily decorate furniture,
  heavy curtains, and lots of knick knack trinkets.
• By modern standards the houses were cluttered and
  over decorated.

16
Fashion and Decor

• The lower classes of society lived in smaller
  houses in the poorest sections of town.
• Many families lived together with their grown
  children even after they were married.

17
Science and Medicine

• Science, medicine, and technology had huge
  advancements during the Victorian era.
• Discovery after discovery were being made and
  they were happening at a very fast rate for the
  time.
• Because of the speed of the advancements, full
  understanding of everything that was going on was
  often not happening.
• It was believed that germs grew spontaneously out
  of liquids, while other believed they were laid
  as eggs by insects.
• Germs were first seen in the 1870s under a
  microscope.

18
Science and Medicine

• With the development of trade, and advancements
  in the industrial revolution, people come into
  contact with new life forms, disease, etc.
• Media often mixed truth with fiction to intrigue
  the public more to what was happening in the
  world.
• The Europeans Meet the Gorilla pg. 64 of your
  text.
• New medical discoveries happened during the 19th
  Century.
• i.e. aspirin, antibiotics, antiseptics, x-ray,
  vitamins, and hormones.
• It was only during the Victorian era that
  vaccinations become available to the ordinary
  person.
• Unless one lived in the city, it was common for
  people to be misinformed of medical and
  scientific advancement.

19
Science and Medicine

• Many diseases affected Victorian society.
• i.e. cholera, smallpox, typhoid fever, influenza,
  and tuberculosis.
• Millions of people died from these diseases.
• Childbirth was very dangerous, and many women
  died while giving birth.
• It was common for children to get rheumatic and
  scarlet fevers.
• Little was know about disease or hygiene, and
  until germs and antiseptics were discovered,
  infections was a common result from having
  operations done.
• No sterile interments for operations, and
  sometime doctors would not even wash their hands
  and smoked during the operations.

20
Science and Medicine

• Louis Pasteur
• French scientist.
• Discovered anthrax, cholera, and rabies.
• Discovers bacilli in 1857.
• Rod-shaped bacteria.
• Used carbolic acid as an antiseptic, and
  vaccinated people and animals against disease.

21
Leisure and Travel

• Entertainment was a big part of the Victorian
  lifestyle.
• In cities people went to parties, concerts,
  fairs, circuses, and shows.
• In the country people went to barn raisings,
  quilting bees, weddings, ceilidhs (parties with
  Scottish or Irish music, dancing and stories),
  barn dances, etc.
• Books and magazines were a popular form of
  entertainment with most people now being
  literate.
• Most were published in serial format to keep
  people coming back for more.

22
Leisure and Travel

• Many Canadians enjoyed many of the same leisure
  activities as we do today (i.e. swimming).
• Others enjoyed more brutal and bizarre leisure's.
• i.e. blood sports like bear-baiting, dog and bull
  fighting, and bare knuckle boxing.
• It was later through the Victorian spirit that
  boxing was changed into the sport we see today.

23
Leisure and Travel

• Medicine shows were a common attraction for many.
• The medicines promised to cure anything and
  everything, but the problem was that most of the
  time they did nothing.
• Most of the medicines were made from alcohol,
  pepper, or turpentine.
• Often the medicines would intoxicate a person or
  make them sick.

24
Leisure and Travel

• The circus become popular, and many people with
  disabilities found work within the circus in the
  side shows.
• People would come pay money to look at the
  freaks.

25
Leisure and Travel

• Parlour games become a way of allowing people to
  mingle in a socially acceptable manor.
• There was no radio, television, movies, or
  recorded music, so people would play card games,
  chess, and checkers.
• Games began to start serving as icebreakers
  between the sexes.
• Certain games were passed down from generation to
  generation, and from one heritage to another.
• Other games served the purpose of allowing the
  men to show off to mingle with the other sex.
• i.e. pulling the stump, pulling the leg, and
  kissing his thumb (pg. 69 of your text).

26
Leisure and Travel

• Leisure travel become a popular past time of
  those who could afford it.
• It was common for people with money to travel to
  Europe and America regularly.
• Part of the allure to traveling was much as it is
  today.
• People enjoyed experiencing the nightlife,
  parties, entertainment of another city, and just
  seeing the sites of another place.
• Inventions such as the steamship made
  transatlantic travel more convenient.
• Travel times were cut from 5 week down to only 2
  weeks or less.
• Steamships become very luxurious, and had many
  different facilities for recreation.

27
Leisure and Travel

• With changing technology come changes in the way
  people traveled.
• People could now travel far distances in a
  fraction of the time they had traveled them
  before.
• New steam locomotives made land travel much more
  attractive, and it was more affordable than the
  steamships of the sea.
• It was this new technology in the development of
  steamships and steam locomotives that helped to
  develop the infrastructure of Canada.

28
Leisure and Travel

• The first railway in Canada was the Champlain
  Saint Lawrence Railway and it was completed in
  1836.
• It ran from La Prairie in Montreal to
  Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu 40 km southwest of
  Montreal.
• Other railways of the time (1865) were the Grand
  Trunk, Maritime, Intercolonial railway (project),
  American, Great Western, and Northern.
• Railways served the purpose of transporting
  person and freight at a much faster rate than
  ever before.
• By 1850 most trains moved at speeds of 80 km/hr.
• The Champlain Saint Lawrence started with trains
  moving at 40 km/hr.
• The railways connected cities, and cities with
  sea ports for shipping.
• They become a vital way of moving goods from city
  to city.

29
Leisure and Travel

• Because of the lack of railway lines, timetables
  become key in avoiding collisions on the tracks
  and keep passengers on time.

30
Leisure and Travel

• Newspapers
• Most small towns and every city in Canada had a
  newspaper.
• During the Victoria era the rise of Dailies
  become a common place in most communities
• Most people were able to read now and newspapers
  become their primary source for information in
  the community and the world around them.
• There were major differences from newspapers of
  the Victorian era and today.
• There were no sports sections, comics,
  professional advice columns, or non-news or
  special interest articles.
• Most papers were used as a source of information
  about happening in the community, the colonies,
  the world, science, etc.

31
Leisure and Travel

• Newspapers attracted readers by providing them
  with the things they wanted to know about.
• Today people want to know about sports, were back
  then it was not as much of a priority unless it
  was boxing or horse racing.
• The Halifax Gazette was the first newspaper in
  Canada in 1752.

32
Activities

• Answer questions 1-3 on page 72.

33
Building a Nation

• The idea of creating a union between all of the
  British North American colonies was one that was
  not greeted by all.
• Canada West was more for the idea than Canada
  East and its French culture, and the Maritime
  colonies.
• The idea of a union meant a central government to
  control defence, external relations, currency,
  postage, taxation, etc.
• Prior to confederation the British government
  control most if not all of the above.
• The Maritime's felt as though they had little in
  common with the rest of Canada, and the French
  believed they would end up as a minority to
  English speaking Canadians in the case of a
  union.
• People liked the idea because it would allow
  people to create their own country that would be
  one of the biggest in the world.
• Those in favor had to try and convince the rest
  that confederation was in their best interest.

34
Building a Nation

• The Canada's were join by and act of union in
  1840 as a recommendation coming from the Durham
  Report (Chapter 1).
• Durham Report being a result of the 1837
  Rebellions.
• Durham also recommended that there be a
  responsible government for the colonies.
• Responsible government a government in which the
  executive council is responsible to the
  legislative assembly whose members are
  representatives of the people.

35
Building a Nation

• People were not sure how self-government would
  work and feared that it could be more harmful
  than good for both Canada and Britain.
• Some thought it would weaken the British Empire
  and strengthen British enemies, while others
  believed it would create economic turmoil in both
  Canada and Britain.
• Some still believed in mercantilist ideas within
  the colonies and the homeland.
• The idea of taking raw materials from the colony
  and manufacturing goods in the homeland to be
  sold for profit.

36
Building a Nation

• Britain's economic relationship was beginning to
  change with the Canada's.
• The repeal of the corn laws in 1846.
• Trading privileges to British colonies allowing
  grain to enter Britain with low duties.
• Britain now wanted free trade to buy wheat,
  flour, grain, and other products from any
  country.
• This helped to put Canada's economy into a
  depression.
• Shipbuilding for Britain was no longer a major
  industry.
• The export of raw materials and agricultural
  goods was slowing.

37
Building a Nation

• Few industries remained that could revive the
  Canadian economy, and this made the idea of
  creating a country even more appealing.
• Few governors that were in place agreed with the
  idea of self government.
• Those in place believed they did not need to be
  responsible to the people of the country.
• With Britain believing free trade was in its
  best interest, the idea of self government in
  Canada become more appealing to them as well.

38
Building a Nation

• Lord Elgin was appointed as governor of the
  Canadas, and the task of bringing responsible
  government to them in 1847.
• Britain wanted the colonies to become their
  economic partner.
• Britain believed it to be of an advantage to have
  responsible government in the colonies because it
  was expensive to govern, defend, and support them
  financially.

39
Building a Nation

• Rebellion Losses Bill 1849.
• Lord Elgin signs a bill giving financial
  compensation to anyone who lost property in the
  Rebellions of 1837.
• Many people opposed the bill because rebels were
  able to collect this as well, but Elgin had no
  choice but to sign it because of there now being
  responsible government.
• As a result there were riots, and the parliament
  buildings were burnt in Montréal on April 25,
  1849.

40
Building a Nation

• Complete the work sheet titled Building a Nation.

41
Advantages of Confederation

• The reasons for having the colonies join as one
  country were plenty.
• As one country, Canada would be able to have more
  economic stability with the prospect of having
  some prosperity.
• There would be no tariffs or trade barriers as a
  country.
• With confederation would come a strong central
  government.
• One of the things that could be done with this is
  build a intercontinental railway that links all
  the colonies (not enough finance with the
  colonies separate).
• This railway would allow for easier trade
  throughout the country, and would be useful in a
  defensive aspect for the country.
• A railway would link cities to an ice free port
  in the Maritimes for shipping.

42
Advantages of Confederation

• Joining confederation would also ensure that the
  West (BC and Rupert's Land) would not be annexed
  by the United States.
• Americans had ideas of Manifest Destiny, and had
  invaded Canada before in the War of Independence
  and War of 1812.
• As one the colonies would have more defensive
  power as opposed to being individual forces.
• The US would be less likely to attack a
  independent nation as opposed to a group of
  individual colonies.

43
Advantages of Confederation

• The American Civil War also posed great threats
  to the colonies, and confederation could help to
  eliminate them.
• The North had an army that was bigger than the
  combined population of all the colonies.
• Britain made the North anger because they
  supported the South during the war.
• Confederation would improve the way the colonies
  governed themselves.
• Most were inefficient in governing themselves and
  taking care business.
• Most parties were undisciplined and disorganized
  internally.
• Modern parties have a whip to prevent this.

44
Advantages of Confederation

• Most colonies were governed by political party
  alliances, and any turmoil within could bring
  down a government.
• As a result there were many elections and
  political crisis.
• Similar to modern day coalition governments.
• Politicians had to build coalition governments to
  keep power, but many problems come about as a
  result.

45
Advantages of Confederation

• Problems with coalition governments.
• French and English provinces rarely agreed on
  anything if it was good for the other.
• Catholic and protestant divisions caused problems
  with how people would vote.
• Between 1849 and 1864 there were 12 different
  governments in power.
• Activity Sheet 2-6
• Complete this chart using the information of
  pg.76-79 of your text.

46
Confederation Achieved

• Confederation still had its opposition at the
  time and most join only if they received
  favorable terms.
• All of the colonies prior to 1867 were separated
  except for Canada West and Canada East.
• All of the citizens were British subject, and
  take care of under the British colonial office.
• The colonies were in good standing with each
  other but had separate legislature to govern
  them.
• With all of the colonies being separate people
  opposed a central government that would rule all.
• Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I., and
  Newfoundland believed they had a shared identity
  separate from the rest of Canada.

47
Confederation Achieved

• The Maritimes already had responsible government,
  and had maintained trade relationships with
  Britain and the U.S..
• Newfoundland had little to no trade with the
  Canadas which would bring no economic benefit in
  return from a union between the two.
• A transcontinental railway was a big drawing card
  to join the union, but would have no benefit for
  Newfoundland or P.E.I..
• All of this created doubt with the Maritimes
  whether or not to join a union with the rest of
  the colonies even though threats to them could be
  eliminated.
• Economic U.S. reciprocity treaty to allow goods
  to pass into the U.S. Duty Free, British repeal
  of the Corn Laws, and new technology hampering
  the maritime shipbuilding industry.
• Defense the Fenian Raids.

48
Confederation Achieved

• Fenian Raids
• Irish society know as Fenians had plans to strike
  back at Britain for occupying Ireland for years
  and being the cause of the Potato Famine in the
  1840s.
• Fenians had been solders in the North army in the
  American Civil War.
• They invaded the British colonies in Canada, but
  never really had any success in the raids.

49
The Conferences

• Confederation was seen as the only solution to
  some of the problems that Canada had been facing.
• Threat of U.S. invasion, Corn Laws, and
  unsuccessful governments.
• The logical step in creating confederation was to
  have a series of meetings between the colonies to
  decide what needed to be done.
• All of the colonies attended, but no natives were
  involved. Something you would never see today.

50
The Conferences

• 1864 Charlottetown, P.E.I..
• Maritime colonies had planned to meet to discus
  creation of a union between themselves.
• The Great Coalition asked to join the discussion
  to input their ideas of confederation.
• Great Coalition George Brown, George-Etienne
  Cartier, and John A. Macdonald.
• The Great Coalition was convincing enough that
  the Maritimes agreed to another conference in
  Quebec to hammer out details.

51
The Conferences

• 1864 Quebec Conference.
• Newfoundland come to the conference but was not
  enthusiastic about confederation.
• The planning for a new nation began during the
  Quebec conference.
• It was decided that provincial governments would
  remain with powers.
• The 72 resolutions were developed, and this
  created the blueprint for confederation.
• Also known as The Quebec Resolutions.

52
The Conferences

• After the conferences the colonies went back to
  their respective legislatures and proposed what
  had been discussed in the conferences.
• This needed to be done because of responsible
  government.
• The proposals needed to be approved by the
  legislatures in order for things to move forward.
• As before, there was opposition for almost every
  point that was being made.
• Everything from the new capital and its powers in
  Ottawa, to whether or not a railway should be
  built.
• New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada (Canada
  East and West) decided to join as one nation.
• Newfoundland and P.E.I. chose to stay independent.

53
The Conferences

• The new union asked Britain for permission in
  London England in 1866.
• The British parliament passed the British North
  America Act (BNA Act) creating the new Dominion
  of Canada at the London conference.

54
British North America Act

• BNA Act, 1867 was passed by the British
  Parliament in 1867. It is the law that created
  the Canadian Confederation.
• The BNA Act was based on the 72 Resolutions, and
  was the basis for the Canadian constitution.
• It stated that the two provinces of Canada, Nova
  Scotia, and New Brunswick would form and be a new
  Dominion with the name Canada.
• The two Canadas were then named Ontario and
  Quebec.
• The BNA Act also sets the legal ground rules for
  Canada, and divvies up the powers between the
  provinces and the federal government.
• Section 91 of the BNA Act lists the powers the
  federal Parliament can exercise, and Section 92
  lists the powers of the Provincial Legislatures.
• Pg. 86-87 of your text.

55
British North America Act
56
British North America Act

• In 1982, the power to amend Canada's Constitution
  is repatriated - brought home to Canada from
  Britain - and the new Act is called the
  Constitution Act, 1982.
• The BNA Act is not repealed, just re-named. It
  becomes part of the new Constitution as the
  Constitution Act, 1867

57
British North America Act

• In 1982 the Canadian government passed the
  Constitution Act. The passage of the Constitution
  Act of 1982 made five major changes to the
  Canadian Constitution
• 1) It established four legal formulas or
  processes for amending the constitution. Until
  1982, there had never been any legal amending
  formula.
• 2) The first three amending formulas entrenched
  certain parts of the written constitution, that
  is, it placed them beyond the power of Parliament
  or any provincial legislature to touch.
• 3) The new Constitution Act set out the Canadian
  Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• 4) The Act gave the provinces wide powers over
  their natural resources.
• 5) The Act clarified the relationship between the
  Federal government and Canadas aboriginal
  population.

58
Confederation

• Confederation was achieved and the new Dominion
  named Canada was celebrated on July 1, 1867.
• Even though confederation was achieved, there
  were still old problems that Canada as a new
  nation would have to deal with.
• Corruption in government, disputes between the
  English and French, and Métis land claims and
  rights.

59
Confederation

• "Confederation! The much-fathered youngster"
  (left to right George Brown, Sir Francis Hincks,
  William McDougall, Sir John A. Macdonald).