Column 1
How many Chinese workers did the Canadian-Pacific Railway (CPR)employ?
15,000
What does CPR stand for?
Canadian-Pacific Railway
Name two of the Push factors that we had discussed.
Land scarcity, famine, poverty, lack of job, and religious persecution
What types of terrain did the CPR have to be built through
Rough terrain like mountains or wooded thickets
When was the Chinese head tax put in place?
Introduced in 1885 to discourage Chinese immigration after CPR completion.
Name one of the 4 major immigrant groups.
British Isles (Scotland, Ireland, Wales)
African Americans
European Groups (Germans, Austro-Hungarians, Scandinavians)
Name one challenge faced during the CPR's construction
Rough terrain, low manpower levels, lack of funding
Name at least two of the four major immigrant groups that came to Canada.
British Isles, African-Americans, European groups (e.g., Germans, Austro-Hungarians, Scandinavians)
What were some of the hardships immigrants faced after arriving in Canada?
Disease, poverty, and lack of access to resources
What is a synonym for worker?
Employee, laborer, hireling, workman
Why were working conditions hazardous to CPR workers?
The areas would often explode, or were explosive
What kind of disagreements sometimes happened among immigrant groups?
Disagreements about culture or religion were very common
How did immigration affect Canada's cultural makeup?
It brought new perspectives and strengthened Canada's diversity
Why was building the CPR considered so important for Canada's development?
It helped connect the country geographically and economically, shaping the modern Canada.
How much did the CPR cost to build?
52 million dollars in 1871, so well over a billion today
What are examples of European groups that immigrated to Canada during this time?
Germans, Austro-Hungarians, and Scandinavians
What does the phrase “the Canada we all know and cherish today” suggest about the CPR’s legacy?
It implies that the CPR was a foundational project that significantly influenced Canada’s national identity.
Why might farmland and agricultural ability have been attractive pull factors for immigrants?
Many immigrants were farmers seeking land to own and cultivate, which promised stability and prosperity.
What does the inclusion of African-Americans among immigrant groups suggest about Canada at the time?
It indicates that Canada may have been seen as a place of relative freedom and opportunity compared to the U.S., especially during times of racial discrimination.
How much were CPR workers paid?
White workers were paid $1.50 to 2.50 per day and had their camp and cooking gear supplied; Chinese workers, paid $1.00/day, were compelled to purchase their own supplies.
Why might Chinese workers have been disproportionately exposed to dangerous tasks?
Due to discrimination and economic exploitation, they were often given the most hazardous jobs, including those involving explosives
Analyze how the lack of funding and manpower may have impacted the CPR’s construction timeline.
Construction may have slowed down, and taken longer than originally planned
Compare and contrast push and pull factors using examples from the paragraph.
Push factors drove people away from Europe (e.g., famine, poverty), while pull factors attracted them to Canada (e.g., land, jobs, opportunity)
Discuss the significance of terrain challenges in relation to early 19th-century engineering capabilities.
Building through mountains and forests was extremely difficult with limited technology, making progress slow and dangerous
What might have happened if Canada hadn’t used immigration to help build and settle the country during the CPR era?
Without immigration, the CPR might not have been finished, population growth would slow, Canada could lose land to the U.S., and the country would be less diverse and less united.