-
Occupations of Women through 1700s-1800s
During the first half of this period, women worked at home, raising the children, caring for farm animals, cooking, sewing and more. During the second half of this period, women became a part of the workforce, some as domestic servants, others worked at stores, offices and factories. However, women were paid less than men, doing the same job. -
Period: to
Women in society and women's suffrage
During this time, Canadian society was dominated by males. Women couldn't go to universities, and could not have a say in politics. Married women had their wages controlled by their husbands.
In the 1890s, 2 groups of women were supporting women's suffrage.
In 1884, unmarried women were allowed to vote. Women were first allowed to vote in 4 Western provinces (1916), followed by Ontario (1917), Nova Scotia (1918), New Brunswick (1919), PEI (1922), and Quebec (1940). -
Period: to
Home Children
During this period, about 100,000 British children between the ages of 8-16, were sent to live in Canada to work on farms. They were known as 'home children' because they were from orphanages or 'homes' for poor children. -
The Metis and the Sale of St. Rupert's Land
As the Canadian government negotiated the sale of St. Rupert's land, they were opposed by the Metis people who felt that their land rights were being threatened by the deal. Conflict over this matter is known as the Red River Resistance. Before the negotiations for the sale concluded, the Red River colony which consisted mainly of francophones and Metis people, decided to rebel. -
Intercepted
In 1869, the government had chosen William McDougall to become the first lieutenant-governor of the Northwest. However he was intercepted on his journey to the Northwest by Riel and the Metis people. He was forced to not enter the area causing the Metis people to control Red River. Now the Metis people had control over this land.
They used that as their bargaining tool and established their own provisional government to negotiate with the Canadian government in the December of 1869. -
Period: to
The Expansion of Canada (Chapter 3)
-
The Manitoba Act
The temporary government formed a bill of rights to outline its requirements for joining Canada as a province. In this bill of rights, Riel ensures that Metis and French rights are not denied. This act was passed in 1870 to satisfy the Metis, French Canadians and English Protestant requirements. However Metis residents must apply for land claims. -
Red River Expedition
Prime Minister Macdonald sent armed forces to secure Red RIver and to prevent further conflict. Led by Lieutenant-Colonel Garnet Wolseley, it took 4 months for 1200 troops to reach Red River. However, their efforts were in vain; they found Fort Garry deserted. Riel had heard that the troops planned to kill him and fled to the U.S. -
Period: to
Women fighting for change
The Canadian Young Women's Christian Association were formed to provide women with a safe and affordable place and to train so they could learn job skills. Canadian Women's Suffrage Association was dedicated to campaigning for women to study in universities so they could become professionals. Lady Aberdeen formed the Victorian Order of Nurses, which taught women nursing skills. The Canadian Army also created a nursing service as part of their medical department. -
Undertaking the contract
Prince Edward Island at first rejected the Confederation. Later in 1871, PEI decided to build their own railway. PEI did not have the budget to build a railway. British Columbia also needed a transcontinental highway. The terms in the Confederation promise that the transcontinental highway would be complete within 10 years. -
Worker Rights/Trade Unions
One of the main challenges to industrialization was that the business owners became wealthy while the workers didn't benefit a lot. Progressivism is a movement in favour of widespread change in a society. When many business owners refused to change, workers banded together in unions. Unions had more power to influence business owner to change their ways. The 1872 Trade Union Act made these unions legal. Trade unions were organizations of workers in the same trade who could support one another. -
Period: to
The Numbered Treaties
A series of 11 treaties negotiated between the Canadian government and the First Nations. In return of giving their land to the government, they would be given small reserves, money, tools, and the right to hunt and fish on their land. However, as many First Nations did not understand English, many of the terms were misunderstood, to the advantage of the government -
Pacific Scandal
In 1872, there was a federal election. In order to win, Macdonald asked for campaign donations. Sir Hugh Allan, donated over $350000 to his campaign and Macdonald was re-elected. In 1873, Allan's company, Canada Pacific Company won the contract to build the railway.
Later, a politician found evidence that Macdonald taking a bribe from Allan. For the campaign money, Macdonald would ensure that his company won the contract to build the railway. This caused Macdonald's resignation 7 months later. -
Period: to
Treaty 6
Although many First Nations signed this treaty, some resisted. Instead, they proposed a united reserve that would keep the tribes together. Chiefs Big Bear, Little Pine and Piapot met together in secret meetings to discuss this. However, the U.S. army discovered these meetings. They took away the Cree's weapons and forced them to move back to Canada. The Mounted Police also refused to provide food rations, now that they had no weapons to hunt with. Situations quickly escalated from then. -
Chief Poundmaker
After a harsh winter with people dying of starvation, Chief Poundmaker, encouraged by the Battle of Duck Lake, approached Battleford settlements. The settlers living there panicked and fled to Fort Battleford. Chief Poundmaker and 60 of his tribe members arrived to find the settlement deserted. They raided the homes for food before they left. -
Macdonald is back
After Macdonald's resignation, Alexander Mackenzie of the Liberal Party was elected. However Canada's economy suffered and many moved to the U.S. The government couldn't keep the promise of building a railway. In 1878, Macdonald was back. Many Canadians supported his National Policy, a vision for the nation's future.
The three main points of this policy is to complete the railway, encourage immigration, and to implement protective tariffs. -
Metis leave Manitoba
Settlers quickly began moving into Manitoba, taking over much of the land the Metis once inhabited. However the government was also bias in accepting land claims. Settlers had first priority and by the time the Metis claims were viewed, their land was already taken away. By 1880, almost all the Metis have given up on their land claims and moved out of the province. -
Change in transportation
In the early 1900s, early automobiles were not affordable to most people and so they would need to use alternative methods to get to work or places they needed to be.Between 1880 to 1900, many urban areas replaced horse-drawn carriages with streetcars. The bicycle also improved and gained immense popularity especially among women. -
The Knights of Labour
Its goal was to unite workers in one big union instead of many smaller unions.They wanted raised wages, laws to protect worker rights, and changes in the economic system. They were 1 of the only unions to include women. In 1902, the Trades and Labour Congress, a Canadian organization of trade unions, banned the Knights of Labour from its membership. Although they pushed for better working conditions they didn't push for the changes to the economic system unlike the Knights of Labour. -
Chinese Head tax
Although Chinese immigration was encouraged during the labour of the CPR, after the railway was finished, the government strove to prevent immigration of certain races including Chinese. In 1885, the Canadian government introduced Chinese head tax. This was a fee that all Chinese immigrants had to pay to enter Canada from 1885 to 1923. The head tax was $50 in 1885 and increased. By 1903, the head tax was $500. This meant that only one family member could afford to immigrate to Canada. -
Period: to
Chinese Communities
15,000 Chinese people moved to Canada in the 1880s to build the CPR. However, most could not afford the trip to return back to China and instead moved to cities across Canada to earn a living. Most Chinese immigrants settled in the West where they became entrepreneurs and worked in laundries, cafes and restaurants. Starting 1890, cities across Canada began establishing Chinatowns. Vancouver's Chinatown is the biggest in Canada. Today, 70% of Chinese Canadians live in either Toronto or Vancouver. -
Period: to
Chinese communities
Discrimination against Chinese people in Canada led to government bans on hiring Chinese workers. In Vancouver, Chinatown was the poorest neighbourhood and had bad sanitation. Chinese businesses began to correlate with health problems. Benevolent associations set up facilities to offer assistance and services that the government had failed to provide. The Chinese Canadian Club was founded by young Chinese men in 1914. The founders called themselves Chinese Canadians. -
The Contract
The contract for this railway included $25 million and an enormous amount of land that the company could later sell to settlers along with the route of the railway. The Palliser's Triangle was discovered to be able to sustain settlement and so the railway was built further south than originally planned. -
Period: to
Chinese labourers
Shortage of workers caused the government to hire jobless people from China. About 17,000 labourers were Chinese people. They did the most dangerous jobs and parts of the railway. 1 Chinese worker died for every mile constructed. They were also treated badly compared to the white people; they got less pay and had to sleep in tents or boxcars. -
The Indian Act of 1876 and residential schools
Various laws combined to create this Act. The term Indian applied to people who were legally recognized as First Nations. The Metis and the Inuit were not included in these terms.
In 1883, residential schools were created to assimilate the First Nations children. The children were treated badly and forbidden to speak or practice their own culture. Many children died because of these schools. -
Period: to
The Potlatch ban
In 1884, the Indian Act banned potlatch, a ceremonial feast practiced by FN people of the Pacific Coast, where gifts are exchanged or destroyed in a show of wealth. These ceremonies strengthened bonds between FN communities. The government didn't understand the importance of this and so anyone caught hosting a potlatch was jailed for 2-6 months and sometimes had sacred or ceremonial objects taken away. Many FN communities hosted potlatches by disguising it as European holidays. -
The Last Spike
In 1885, a ceremony was hosted for the completion of the railway. The last spike of the railway was driven in by Donald Smith, marking the completion of the transcontinental railway. However, out of the thousands of Chinese workers, none were invited to this historic ceremony. -
Famine
Chief Big Bear finally signed Treaty 6 in December 1882. His people were starving and were facing a long winter. However the federal government would only provide famine relief if he chose a new reserve location for his people. By early 1885, the government had cut of all supplies to Big Bear's tribe. He finally decided on the Frog Lake area, 200 km north of Chief Poundmaker's reserve. -
Seeking Peace
Chief Poundmaker wanted to meet with Middleton to discuss a peace settlement. The outcome of this meeting was the arrest of him and some of his people. Later, Chief Big Bear surrendered voluntarily .
Both of these chiefs were charged of treason and accused of violence, when they tried to achieve peace. They were found guilty and sentenced to prison. They died 3 years later from illnesses they got during their prison sentence. -
Period: to
Fighting to be Heard (Chapter 4)
-
Battle on Duck Lake
When Riel returned to Canada, 4 Metis men including Gabriel Dumont wanted him to lead the protest against the federal government. The group created an army of about 300 people.
When Dumont and his men raided a local store for supplies, the next day, a group of 100 mounted police tried to track down their whereabouts. However peaceful communication turned violent and men on both sides were killed. -
Frog Lake Massacre
Driven by hunger, frustration and the Metis victory at Duck Lake, a group of young Cree men led by War Chief Wandering Spirit decided to take over the Frog Lake settlement. When the settlers there refused to move, it became violent. 9 male white settlers were killed. When Big Bear arrived and attempted to stop the men, it was too late. Nine months later, 8 Cree men were hanged, the largest public hanging in Canadian history. -
Battle at Cut Knife Hill
Battleford settlers remained under the safety of the fort until 500 troops arrived, led by Lieutenant-Colonel William Otter. Otter disobeys Middleton's orders to stay at Battleford. Instead, he leads 325 troops to Chief Poundmaker's camp. There they are ambushed by the Cree and Assiniboine men. These troops are forced to retreat. Chief Poundmaker who did not participate in the fight stopped his men from pursuing after the defeated troops. -
Battle at Batoche
In April, Dumont led his army to Fish Creek where they forced Major-General Frederick Middleton and his troops into temporary retreat. In early May, Middleton and his troops headed for Batoche. Although Dumont wanted to use surprise attack to their advantage, Riel refused. This battle lasted for 3 days. The Metis ran out of ammunition and had to retreat. Riel surrendered on May 15, believing that it would bring to the public's notice, the Metis struggle against the government. -
Riel's trial
The government ensured that the jury was made up of English speaking Protestants and was in an area with a smaller Metis population. Riel's lawyers wanted to make him seem insane so that wouldn't be responsible. However Riel refused because he felt that his cause wouldn't be properly recognized. After a 4 day trial, the jury found Riel guilty but recommended mercy. However Macdonald and his cabinet decided to hang Riel.
Link text -
Riel: Life or Death?
Riel was executed on November 16, 1885. Many French Catholic Canadians saw Riel as a defender of French and Catholic rights. However, if Macdonald chose life and freedom, he would offend English Canadians. If he chose death and punishment, he would lose Quebec's support. When Macdonald and his cabinet chose death and punishment, the Canadian media and public debated this execution. Catholic Francophones protested because of this. Even now, Riel's execution is still controversial. -
Social class
Those who were wealthy, took advantage of the new technology and machinery. Business owners became increasingly wealthy while their employees' economic situation did not improve. At that time there was also no laws on minimum wage. The cost of supporting a family was greater than their monthly wages, thus most of the working class were living in poverty -
Children's Rights
Some were opposed to the way children were neglected, abandoned and abused as well as child labour. John K. Kelso was an advocate for children rights by writing news articles. Due to his efforts, the Ontario Provincial Government created a charter protecting children from neglect, abandonment, and abuse and elected him superintendent of neglected and dependent children. He later established many societies, laws and programs helping and protecting children. -
Industrialization
1890-1905 was a significant period in the Canadian history of Industrialization. Industrialization is a process where manual labour is replaced by machinery and technology as the dominant method of production. New innovations would improve factory production rates, while owners of large farms would buy machinery to help them work with more land. However these machinery were very expensive and not affordable by many. -
Immigration
The urban population for many provinces was drastically increasing, as settlers from rural areas, and immigrants from Britain, the United States, and some countries in Europe immigrated to urban metropolitan cities. During the Industrial Age, many immigrants came to Canada to work as farmers (due to cheap farmland) or service/manufacturing workers in urban areas. Other industries i Canada that needed labourers at that time were lumber and mining. -
Imperialism of Britain
Britain along with many other European countries were all competing against one another to expand their territory by economic, cultural or military means. Britain did this to increase their influence and wealth. However imperialism was driven by racism and discrimination. Many believed of a superior culture and that only the strongest would survive. They believed that other cultures should assimilate into their own and benefit from their "civilized" culture. -
Period: to
The Industrial Age
Chapter 5 -
Period: to
Life of a Black person in the late 1800s
Black people were segregated in Canada in the 1800s, which means they were deliberately separated based on their race, in society. If Black children attended white schools, they were bullied and threatened. Black people were treated as inferiors to White people and were treated unfairly. They had to sit in separate sections, live in certain neighbourhoods and could not join many White organisations. The Black community responded to discrimination by creating their own organisations. -
French Rights in the North-West territories
In 1892, the North-West territories removed French as its official language. In 1905, Alberta and Saskatchewan were created from a southern portion of the North-West territories. These provinces wanted to continue this policy, however Laurier compromised instead. He allowed minority to have their own schools as long as they taught provincial curriculum. -
Laurier-Greenway compromise
The high court in Britain canceled the Manitoba Act 1895 of cancelling the funding for French and Catholic education. PM Mackenzie Bowell's government became divided by this issue and he was forced to resign. Laurier became PM and he solved this by striking a compromise with with Manitoba premier. The compromise was to have entirely secular school-days except for the last half hour where a representative of a religion may instruct the children as well as have a bilingual teacher. -
Women Rights
The Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), the Dominion
Women’s Enfranchisement Association (DWEA), along with many other organizations campaigned for women's suffrage. In 1896, the WCTU and the DWEA organized a mock parliament which featured debates on men's rights and about suffrage for both genders. -
The beginning of the Klondike Gold Rush
1896, while Laurier became PM of Canada, a large gold deposit was discovered in Klondike or present-day Yukon. This news spread quickly, bringing gold-seekers from all over the world. the North West Mountie Police only allowed those who had a years supply of food to cross the Canadian border. Many prospectors had to make 20-30 trips to transport all their supplies. Between 1897-1898, about 30,000 prospectors travelled the Chilkoot Pass. -
Period: to
Canada's Developing Identity
Chapter 6 -
Period: to
Clifford Sifton's Plan
Sifton was the Minister of the Interior in PM Laurier's government and was in charge of First Nations affairs, immigration, and land management. He wanted to increase immigration especially to the Prairies, by attracting experienced farmers from Europe. He used posters, fair exhibits, advertisements, pamphlets, and agents who would give speeches of what Canada has to offer. People from Britain, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Poland, Italy, Iceland, China, Russia and the U.S. came to Canada. -
Queen Victoria
She adored Canada and strongly supported Confederation. She chose the capital city of Canada and named British Columbia. In 1845, the Province of Canada declared her birthday, May 24 as an official holiday. Today it is celebrated on the first Monday preceding May 25. Her Diamond Jubilee (1897) was an opportunity for British colonies to show their allegiance to the British Empire. Laurier was knighted during his trip to England for the Diamond Jubilee while celebrations continued across Canada. -
Adelaide Hoodless
Hoodless's son died of meningitis by drinking unpasteurized milk. After her son's death, she dedicated her life to educating women about food safety, nutrition and hygiene. These subjects were known as domestic sciences. In 1897, she founded the first women's institute. In the early 1900s, more than 500 women's institutes were established across Canada, educating women on domestic science. -
Impact of the Klondike Gold Rush on the First Nations people
In 1898, the once small settlement of Dawson City became the largest city west of Winnipeg with a population of 16,000. This vast population at the time, greatly impacted the First Nations. Their food supply diminished and the natural landscape of the land they lived in were altered. The threat of famine and disease increased. -
Aftermath of the Klondike Gold Rush
Yukon territory was created to prevent American annexation due to the gold rush of that area in 1898. 100,000 people set off to Klondike but only 30,000 people made it to Klondike and of those 30,000 people only 4000 struck gold. Many died in avalanches, or succumbed to disease. Soon the gold rush died away, and the population became to diminished as well. -
Black porters (part 1)
The Intercolonial railway (ICR) hired many Black men as porters who worked long hours on first class cars. They were paid less than their white counterparts and were only allowed to sleep 3 hours a night and were treated badly by the passengers. Black porters weren't allowed to join White railway worker unions. In 1898, the ICR decided to fire their Black porters because of bad business, despite the fact that White porters were paid more. They did this to avoid strikes from the White unions. -
Black porters (part 2)
Black churches were furious when they heard about the firing. They contacted the media and made this racist act public knowledge. They threatened the Liberals that the Black community will vote the Conservatives instead and accused them of racism by some newspapers. In the end only some Black porters were rehired but received no compensation. Eventually, Black workers organised their own unions as white unions continued to refuse them membership until 1919. -
Strikes/Boycotts
In 1899, many streetcar workers went on strike and refused to work until their employer, H. Everett raised wages and shortened their hours. Many citizens stopped using the streetcars. Despite it all, Everett still refused to meet the terms. Boycott is a form of protest where people refuse to buy goods or services of the business. Canadian militia had to be brought to intervene with the strikes. As strikes continued across Canada, business owners increased pressure on the government to stop them. -
Cause of the Boer War
In 1815, Britain took over southern Africa from the Dutch rule. African settlers of Dutch descent (Boers) resisted assimilation by setting up their own states farther north, free from British rule. In the 1890s, gold was discovered in that area. As mass immigration occurred, tensions between the British and the Boers grew. In 1899, Boers attacked, sparking the beginning of the South African War (the Boer War). -
Canadians and the Boer War
Those who supported British Imperialism especially the English, thought that Canada should send troops. Those who didn't support imperialism believed that the war had nothing to do with Canada and wanted to stay neutral. Laurier's government was also divided over this issue and so he decided to compromise. Instead of enforcing conscription, he decided to send only volunteers to war. More than 7000 Canadians volunteered to serve in this war and a small group of nurses. -
Fleeing Persecution
People faced persecution because of their beliefs, heritage, or religion. The Canadian government had promised immigrants the freedom to practise their religion and to live wherever they wished. This attracted the Doukhobors, farmers living in Russia who were pacifists, people opposed to violence but men living in Russia were required to join the military and some of their religious and political beliefs clashed with their government's. This also attracted the Jewish, fleeing from anti-Semitism. -
Women in sports
Women began to participate in sports because of its health benefits, but most team sports were considered unsuitable for women but women participated in those sports nevertheless. Only middle-class women or female students could afford the time and money to participate in these sports. -
Childhood
While some children attended school, others still had to work in family farms or factories, while others did all of the three. Most children got a job at the age of 10 and were considered young adults at 13 years old. A separate court was created to deal with the crimes of minors.
At the end of the 1800s, child labour was discouraged and 13 year old children were no longer considered young adults. By 1900, elementary schools were mandatory in all the provinces except for Quebec. -
Jewish Communities
Most new immigrants couldn't speak English nor French so they found work as peddlers, tailors, shopkeepers. They established their own synagogues, schools, sports facilities and newspapers. Most Jews lived in slums, highly populated, dilapidated parts of the city -
Child Labour
The machines created during the Industrial Age had to be operated and so many companies took advantages of children to be unskilled workers. Unskilled workers are workers not trained in the skills of a specific trade. They were paid very less and often had dangerous jobs. At the turn of the 19th century into the 20th century, people began to wonder about child labour. Child labourers were strained which didn't benefit their growth. Stricter laws were created to ensure the safety of children. -
Pull Factors of Canada's Immigration Boom
While some were fleeing from persecution, others needed to find work, or even seeking a better future. -
The Social Gospel movement
In the 1900s, many womens lives were centered around church. I response to some of the social problems of their time such as poverty, crime and unemployment, the social gospel movement gained popularity. The social gospel movement promoted the idea that if everyone worked together to solve social problems and used Protestant values, society would improve. This movement also shared a common goal with the Women's Christian Temperance union: women' suffrage. -
Period: to
Residential Schools
FN families tried to resist assimilation by resisting some of the policies set up by residential school is the early 1900s. In most cases, residential schools didn't cooperate with FN families. As the government continued to open more residential schools, the conditions became worse especially in the 1920s. FN children were abused and punished severely, stripped of their identity, given inadequate food, weren't allowed to speak their language and were made to feel ashamed of their culture. -
Boer War
By the end of this war in 1902, 60 000 people have died, 270 Canadians and 26 000 Boer women and children who have been sent to concentration camps. Concentration camps are where large numbers of people, especially political prisoners or members of persecuted minorities, are deliberately imprisoned in a relatively small area with inadequate facilities, sometimes to provide forced labor or to await mass execution. These camps brought worldwide criticism of British imperialism -
Black Women
Most women organizations were lead by white, upper or middle class women and mainly focused on issues faced by white women. Black women created their own charitable organizations such as the Coloured Women's Club of Montreal, founded by the wives of the Black railway porters. They focused on fighting discrimination and poverty and primarily helped Black families living in Canada. -
Period: to
Italian worker strike
The government sent out a call for cheap labour, which many young Italian and Greek men responded to. These Italian men were given temporary jobs in the railway, mining, shipping and lumber industries. They were usually mistreated by their employers. From 1902-1912, there was a strike by shipping workers almost every year. They sometimes used violence in these strikes because of their harsh working conditions and lack of job security. -
Alaskan Boundary Claims
When gold was discovered in Klondike, Laurier wanted to create a port to benefit the gold rush. However the boundaries of this territory were unclear and as a dominion of the British Empire, it couldn't negotiate the boundaries by itself. After years of discussion a panel of 3 American, 2 Canadian and 1 British representatives voted 4-2 in favour of the American claim. This ensured that the U.S. controlled the coast and river mouths leading into Yukon and the Northern part of British Columbia. -
Working conditions
Men, women and children alike had to work for long hours with low wages. In 1904, a fire spread and burned down 100 buildings and caused 5000 people to lose their jobs. Workers were often mistreated and were mostly working in areas with a risk of death or severe injury. -
Frank Oliver
In 1905, when Frank Oliver replaced Sifton as Minister of the Interior, he wished to have British families settled on the land already cleared by the Doukhobor settlers. Oliver claimed that the Doukhobors had refused to sign an Oath of Allegiance. They were now not allowed to settle in communities. Oliver reclaimed 104,765 ha of land cleared by the Doukhobors, by claiming their farming practices weren't clearing the land fast enough. In 1908, 6000 Doukhobors moved to British Columbia. -
Frank Oliver's Immigration Act
Oliver's preceder, Sifton encouraged immigration while Oliver discouraged immigration. He did so by introducing the Immigration Act in 1906, which gave the government the power to restrict immigration, deport people and create prejudicial laws to target certain types of people. In 1910, the Immigration Act was adjusted and introduced with more restrictive laws. The Canadian government also discouraged immigration of Black people, Asian people and of many other nationalities or ethnicities. -
Anti-Immigration on the Pacific Coast
An increase in Chinese and Japanese immigration in the Pacific coast, led to anti-Asian opinions.On 09/07/1907, an anti-immigration rally took place in Chinatown and moved on to Japantown. People waved white banners that promoted 'a White Canada'. It became a riot and took the police hours to control the rioters. This also led to a deal with Japan and Canada to restrict immigration to Canada to 400 male labourers and domestic servants a year. -
The Canadian Navy
In 1908, the British Empire asked its dominions (semi-dependent nations) to contribute some money to build the British navy. However, many Francophones of Canada were opposed to this request and so Laurier made another compromise: to create Canada's own navy. He introduced the Naval Service Bill in 1910. Laurier earned the name "the Great Conciliator". Conciliator means someone who solves conflicts/disputes with peace. -
Regulation 17
This was introduced in 1912 by the Ontario government. This law limited French instruction to Grade 1 and 2 students. The Francophones of Ontario protested and fought for their rights. As their influence increased, the Franco-Ontarian flag was created. In 2016, the Ontario government apologized to the Franco-Ontarians for Regulation 17. -
The Friendship of the Cree and the Doukhobors
Many farmers were in poverty and how little to no tools or money to start a farm. In 1909, a friendship began between the Cree on the Muskeg Lake Reserve and the Doukhobors of Petrofka. Since the Doukhobors did not have horses, they pulled the plow themselves. The Cree provided horses and aid to the Doukhobors, the beginning to a great friendship. -
The New Reciprocity deal
Laurier proposed a reciprocity agreement with the U.S. In this agreement, many cheaper U.S. goods would be able to enter Canada without tariffs and the same would to be for Canadian livestock, crops and timber. Although the U.S. government was in favour for this agreement, many Canadians believed that Reciprocity would put Canadian businesses at risk. It became the main issue of the next national election and was one of the reasons why Laurier was defeated in this election. -
The Songhees people and Sir Richard McBride
Richard McBride was premier of BC between 1903-1915. In Victoria, there was a FN reserve belonging to the Songhees people, right on the harbour. The Songhees had resisted many government offers to move. Songhee Chief Cooper negotiated a deal with McBride. Each of the Songhees families would receive large payments and would move to a new reserve chosen by 5 Songhees members and McBride. They would have land, fishing and hunting rights. McBride was made an honorary Songhee chief for his kindness. -
Consequences of the Jewish Garment Workers Protest
By mid-April, the strike union was running out of compensation to give to the striking workers. There was also not enough support from media and businesspeople. The striking workers eventually gave up and the Eaton company refused to hire back all its Jewish workers. Although the Jewish workers had failed to improve working conditions, they had increased awareness about the labour prejudices and the labour movement. -
Jewish Garment Workers protest
Although Jewish workers unions helped workers maintain their culture, Jewish garment workers faced low pay and unsafe working conditions. The Eaton company of Toronto told their male sewing machine operators that they would have the extra task of sewing the coat linings and they would not pay for this extra task. Female workers who originally sewed the coat linings would lose their jobs, In response to this 65 machine operators went on strike. The number of striking workers grew to 1200 people. -
Push and Pull factors
When studying immigration, historians consider push and pull factors. Push factors are social, political , economic or environmental force that drives migrants out of an area while pull factors drive migrants into an area. In 1896, 5 million people lived in Canada. In 1914, almost 8 million people lived in Canada. -
Bloc Settlements
Farmers who immigrated to Canada were distributed land in a pattern of bloc settlements. This is a type of land distribution that allows one group of people of the same culture were allowed to settle farms close together so to create a community or colonies. This technique allowed immigrants to help each other and socialize with people of your same religion, and heritage. -
Komagata Maru
The Immigration Act made it nearly impossible for Asian immigration to Canada. The Sikh passengers of the Komagata Maru had planned their journey carefully so that they could gain entry to Canada. However they were still denied entry. After a 2 month standoff, the Canadian government forced them to go back to India. When they arrived in India 2 months later, the British tried to arrest 20 of the 'leaders'. When they resisted, a fight broke out resulting in the death of 20 people. -
Period: to
Impact of Residential Schools
Many died from illness, abuse, suicide and succumbing to hyperthermia, starvation or dehydration while running away. The last residential school closed in 1996, but its effects leave a toll on future generations. In 2008, the federal government made a formal apology to those affected by residential schools. Today, the government seeks to reconcile with the FN and works towards building good relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities.
