Canada Pre-Confederation
What was the economy like in BNA before confederation?
The economy was based off of what each area (colonies) used or had in their area.
-Eastern Atlantic colonies had an economy made up of fishing, shipbuilding, and logging
-Central colonies had farming, manufacturing, and the fur trade
-Western colonies had the fur trade, and First-Nations trading
What were the Atlantic colonies?
Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,PEI
What types of people were in BNA at the time?
-French -Irish -Scottish -Welsh -American
-English -First-Nations -Metis -other origins
What were Preferential Tariffs?
Lower tariff rates on imported goods from BNA because Britain considered BNA as apart of them
Why were railways built?
You couldn't always use water transportation, and it wasn't always the most efficient. Railways were introduced, so goods could get around much easier no matter what weather condition. These railways were expensive, so government officials had to be bribed. This ended up being a huge success and even though the government was in much debt they had to keep building these railways
How was the province of Canada created?
The province of Canada was created by uniting Upper Canada and Lower Canada
What were the Central Colonies?
Province of Canada, Canada East, Canada West
What was the Great Migration?
So many people moved to BNA looking for a better life. These people included African slaves escaping slavery, Irish escaping the potato famine, French wanting to come to new land, British who were intrigued by BNA and others for various reasons. Because so many people moved all at the same time to BNA, this is known as the Great Migration
How did the British industrial revolution impact BNA's economy?
Because of the industrial revolution happening in Britain, factory owners wanted no taxes on imports so that they would be cheaper to buy. So Britain removed the preferential tariffs and took away the corn laws placed on Canadian imports. Because wheat farmers could not compete with the more taxes, they left Canada to go to America, which dropped the economy significantly.
What were the social effects of the railway?
-People took less time travelling
-people could visit their families
-people could work farther away from home
What problems might uniting the colonies create?
There were too many geological borders, they would be over powered by the Province of Canada, and culture and traditions would be lost
What were the North and Prairie colonies?
Rupert's land, Red river settlement, and North-west territories
What was the Irish potato famine, and what did people use to escape it?
In Ireland, there was a disease destroying their potatoes and at that time potatoes were a main source of food for the Irish. Many Irish died of starvation, and there were also other diseases going around Ireland. The Irish heard about BNA and left Ireland. The rich Irish went on ships, but the poorest Irish travelled in lumber ships. These ships were small, crowded, and did not have enough space for necessities like food and water and air, so many died on these ships. So many people died on these ships that they were referred to as "coffin ships".
The corn laws were laws that placed the preferential tariffs on wheat. In 1846, they took away the corn laws that gave special rates for wheat to the colonies of BNA. This impacted BNA negatively as BNA could not compete with cheaper wheat and timber so many farmers left for the United States which dropped the economy in BNA with was referred to as an economic bust.
What were the economic effects of the railways?
-they increased trade
-they helped towns and cities nearby grow
-they created more jobs for people
What are the 3 most populous colonies
Canada East, Canada West, and Nova Scotia
What were the Pacific coast colonies?
How did the American slaves escape to Canada?
At the time, slaves were being sent to southern states to work in cotton fields. The Northern states believed this was evil, so they helped the slaves escape using the Underground railroad. This was a secret route that led the slaves to safety. They even had a secret language which used many railway words and which led to this route being called "The Underground Railway"
What was the reciprocity treaty and what pros did it have?
The Reciprocity Treaty was a treaty BNA signed with the USA that took taxes away on Canadian imports such as wheat, timber, coal, fish, and potatoes. Some pros were the BNA could finally afford these and in return American fishers could fish in Canadian waters.
What were the political effects of the railways?
-more government debt in each country
-increased taxes in order to overcome debt
What groups were in the majority and which groups were in the minority?
Majority
-French
-Brittish(irish, Engilsh, Scottish, Welsh)
Minority
-First Nations
-other origins
What types of people are living in each of the colonies?
Atlantic colonies had British people such as Irish, welsh, Scottish, English, American, etc
Central colonies had French people in Canada east and English people in Canada west
The North and the Prairies had European settlers and first-nations, Metis, aboriginal, etc
The Pacific coast had English settlers, with some to few First-Nations too
What were some effects of the Great Migration?
There were more English in Canada West than French in Canada East, The English wanted more power in the government, The French began to worry about their loss of culture and religion, the new immigrants needed land, shelter, jobs, and food, and the economy was changed drastically
How and why did water transportation improve?
What is the economic boom?
After the Reciprocity Treaty was signed, imports were back up and running, railways made many jobs, many immigrants were coming in, and Britain was also trading with BNA again which boosted the economy and this boost is known as the economic boom