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Period: to
History
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Immigration
The immigrants came to British North America and Lower Canada at the close of the war of 1812. Most settled in Upper Canada, but some settled in Lower Canada's easters townships, between Quebec and Montreal. The immigrants mostly came from Great Britain or the United States, but some did come from European countries. -
Migration into the country
Immigrant’s settled in Lower Canada’s Eastern township in 1815. They came from Great Britain or the United States. The European countries were attracted by the whole spread of land buyers who were wooed by promises of cheap and fertile land, close to towns and markets. People spent all their money on the trip and on supplies for a life or two in colonies. The poor had to come on coffin ships under the steerage where there were diseases and death. -
Merging of the HBC and NWC
in 1821, the Hudson's Bay Company(HBC) and the Northwest Company(NWC) merged together creating one, and owning all of Ruperts land. Although this merge kept the name HBC, the NWC still owned 55 shares. Right around this time period the fur trading was just ending. -
Northwest Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada. With great wealth at stake, tensions between the companies increased to the point where several minor armed skirmishes broke out, and the two companies were forced to merge. -
Rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada
The Rebellions of 1837 were two armed uprisings that took place in Lower and Upper Canada in 1837 and 1838. Both rebellions were motivated by problems in political reform. A key shared goal was responsible government, which was eventually achieved in the aftermath of the rebellions.The rebellion in Lower Canada began first, in November 1837. The Lower Canada rebellion probably inspired the much shorter rebellion in Upper Canada in December. -
John Lambton (Lord Durham)
John George Lambton was a British Whig statesman, colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America. Lord Durham was sent to the Canadas in 1837 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Lower Canada Rebellion and the Upper Canada Rebellion which had both occurred earlier that year. His detailed and famous Report on the Affairs of British North America recommended a modified form of responsible government and a legislative union. -
The Durham Report
The Durham Report was completed January 1839 and officially presented to the Colonial Office 4 February 1839 by John George Lambton. A known reformer, Lord Durham had been appointed governor general to investigate colonial grievances after the rebellions of 1837. -
Colonial Government
The Colonial Government was hierarchical. Hierarchy is any system of people or things ranked one above the other. Both Upper and Lower Canada during the years of the Colonial Government would appoint a governor to rule Lower Canada, and a Lieutenant governor to rule upper Canada. These Governors would usually be appointed for a two year period. The Governor would appoint two councils, a Legislative Council and Executive Council. -
Abolishment of the Seigneurial System
The seigneurial system was formally abolished by the Legislative Assembly and assented to by Governor in 1854. The act called for the creation of a special Seigneurial Court composed of all the justices of Lower Canada, which was presented a series of questions concerning the various economic and property rights that abolition would change. -
Manifest Destiny
Colonists in British North America became concerned that the United States would try to fulfill their philosophy of manifest destiny by taking over all of North America. The fears were worsened when, during the American Civil War, Britain supported the Southern Confederate Army. To end the deadlock, Macdonald, Brown and Cartier joined to propose a larger union of British North America. Such a union would increase protection from an American invasion and would also make trade among colonies easy. -
Fish
Canada's fishery drew the first Europeans to the northern half of North America, and it still sustains large coastal and inland regions. The fishing industry has been complex, contradictory, and varied, with a "boom and bust" economic nature. Independent participants have generally dominated in number, and have traditionally faced hazards and hardships in the pursuit of the trade. -
John Alexander Macdonald
Sir john A. Macdonald was the first prime minister of Canada, and the main figure of Canadian Confederation. Macdonald's time as Prime Minister spanned 19 years, making him the second longest serving Prime Minister. -
Canadian Government
The Government of Canada is the federal democratic administration of Canada by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council. In both senses, the construct was established at Confederation, through the Constitution Act, 1867 -
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed in 1867. Three British colonies became four provinces of the new dominion. The existing Province of Canada was divided into the new provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and two other colonies, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, also became provinces of the Dominion of Canada. -
Red River Rebellion
The Red River Rebellion was the first crisis the New Government had after the Canadian Confederation in 1867. The Red River Rebellion was a bunch of events that were related to the establishment of the provisional government by Louis Riel in 1869. -
Whiskey Fur Trade
At first, fur traders came to the Northwest Territory bringing guns, blankets and cooking utensils to trade for buffalo robes. Soon whiskey became the trade item of choice. The whiskey was made from distilled alcohol mixed with chewing tobacco, red pepper, soap, molasses and red ink and it was labeled "Whoop-Up juice." It was cheaply made, highly addictive and provided huge profits for the fur traders. -
CPR entering Confederation
The Canadian Pacific Railway is a Canadian Class Railroad that stretches from Montreal to Vancouver. The BC portion of the railway was constructed between 1881 and 1885, fulfilling a promise extended to British Columbia when it entered Confederation in 1871. For decades, it was the only practical means of long–distance passenger transport in Canada. -
Northwest Mounted Police
The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian police force. It was established in 1873, and in 1904 the name was changed to Royal Northwest Mounted Police. In 1920, it merged with the Dominion Police to become the current Royal Canadian Mounted Police. -
Indian Act
Once a bunch of Aboriginals that are living on the prairies signed the treaties, the government introduced and passed an act to consolidate previous laws, concerning the natives. -
Canadian Pacific Railway - Beginning
The railway was originally built between eastern Canada and British Columbia between 1881 and 1885 (connecting with Ottawa Valley and Georgian Bay area lines built earlier), fulfilling a promise extended to British Columbia when it entered Confederation in 1871. It was Canada's first transcontinental railway, but currently does not reach the Atlantic coast. Primarily a freight railway, the CPR was for decades the only practical means of long-distance passenger transport in most regions of Canada -
Louis Riel
Louis David Riel was a Canadian politician, a founder of the province of Manitoba, and a political and spiritual leader of the Métis people of the Canadian prairies. He led two resistance movements against the Canadian government and its first prime minister, Sir John A. Macdonald. Riel fought to keep Métis rights and culture as their homelands in the Northwest. -
Pemmican Fur Trade
Pemmican is a concentrated mixture of fat and protein used as a nutritious food. It was an easy way to preserve and transport food stores during long trips. You would not have to do a lot of cooking, carry cooking utensils, and the same weight of pemmican would have more nutritional value than fresh meat. -
Klondike Gold Rush - Beginning
n August 1896, a party led by Skookum Jim Mason discovered gold on a part of the Klondike River. After the discovery was published in 1897, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people braved hardships to reach the Klondike gold fields in the winter and spring of 1897-98. With all of the Americans, the government decided to relieve the North-West Territories' administration from controlling the sudden rise of population, economic activity and amount of non-canadians. -
Klondike Gold Rush - End
In1899, the Yukon became a separate territory. In 1901, after many had gone back, the population of the territory was at 27,219. That was not reached again until 1991. The amount of people greatly heightened mineral exploration in other parts of the Yukon and led to two other gold rushes in Atlin, British Columbia and Nome, Alaska as well as a number of mini-rushes.
