Becoming Canada

Chapter 6

How did the war of 1812 and its political consequences affect the developing

Canadian identity?

Conflict Renewed: The War of 1812

Deadlock: A situation where no progress can be made.

The War of 1812

By 1812, tensions between Britain and the United States had heated up.

Why couldn’t they get along?

The War of 1812

By 1812, tensions between Britain and the United States had heated up.

Why couldn’t they get along? 1.Britain was at war with France. It stopped

Americans from trading with the French; they had blocked the ports.

2.The British were kidnapping American sailors to serve in the British navy.

3.The British were supporting the First Nations in the struggle for land – the Americans wanted to expand.

4.Some Americans wanted to take over Britain’s colonies.

The War of 1812

The war began in 1812. Could the British count of loyalty in British

North America?

The War of 1812

The war began in 1812. Could the British count of loyalty in British

North America? 1. Many colonists were Americans who had arrived after

the Loyalists for cheap land, not because they were loyal to Britain. They outnumbered the Loyalists four to one.

2. The Atlantic colonies depended on trade with the Americans along the Atlantic coast.

3. It had been almost 50 years since the French lost New France. Would the Canadiens rise up against Britain now?

The War Unfolds

British soldiers, local militia, and First Nations allies fought hard against the invaders.

KEY BATTLE: April 1813, a fleet of American ships in Lake Ontario shot cannon fire at the town of York . American soldiers looted shops and houses. They burned down the government building.

The War Unfolds

KEY BATTLE: August 1814, Britain invaded Washington, DC and burned down the US government buildings.

Laura Secord

Laura Secord

In 1813, Laura overheard that the Americans were planning an attack.

Leaving in the middle of the night, she hiked 32kms through swamp and forest to warn the British.

Her efforts led to the capture of 500 American troops. http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10118

The Impact of the War

The War of 1812 ended in a deadlock.The Treaty of Ghent ended the war in

December 1814, requiring both sides to return any territory they had gained.

They agreed to make the 49th parallel of latitude the political boundary.

Who won?

The Impact of the War

The War of 1812 ended in a deadlock.The Treaty of Ghent ended the war in

December 1814, requiring both sides to return any territory they had gained.

They agreed to make the 49th parallel of latitude the political boundary.

Who won? NOBODY!

The Impact of the War

The Americans viewed the war as a triumph over Britain.

The people of Upper and Lower Canada saw the opposite; they had stopped an American attack.

The First Nations could claim no victory about 15,000 First Nations allies died in the war

(more than British and American casualties combined) The Americans refused to create a First Nations state,

as Britain had proposed.

4. Why couldn’t the British and the United States get along? (4 pts)

5. a) How did the War of 1812 end? (1pt)

b) What were the results? (2 pts)

c)Who won? (2 pts)

Conflict Renewed: The War of 1812

The Great Migration

immigrants: a person who moves to a new country

quarantine station: A building or area where people suspected of carrying a contagious illness are kept so that they will not infect the population.

The Great Migration

After the war, Britain was eager to open up the backwoods to farming.

They planned to fill its colonies with people from:

The Great Migration

After the war, Britain was eager to open up the backwoods to farming.

They planned to fill its colonies with people from:

Wales Scotland Ireland

The Great Migration

Why leave Britain?The population was growing quickly and jobs

were scarce. Farmers were being forced off land. Poverty and hunger were common.

Why move to the colonies?With peace, ocean travel was now safer. The colonies offered free land, new

opportunities, and a chance for a better life.

The Great Migration

Between 1815 and 1850 more than 800,000 immigrants came to the ports of Halifax, Saint John and Québec City.

The Great Migration

Between 1815 and 1850 more than 800,000 immigrants came to the ports of Halifax, Saint John and Québec City.

Coming to the Colonies

Immigrants travelled by ship.The journey would take several weeks. These ships were often referred to as “coffin

ships.” Why the nickname?

Coming to the Colonies

“coffin ships”Most immigrants were poor and could not

afford the “comfortable cabins” the ships had to offer.

They crowded in the dark and filthy holds below deck.

Diseases ran rampant. Many people died on these

voyages.

The Terrible Year

In 1847 immigration from Ireland leapt from 20, 000 to 100, 000 immigrants a year.

The potato crop had failed leaving the Irish with nothing to eat.

Thousands left Ireland to set out for North America.

The Terrible Year

A typhus epidemic broke out onboard the ships killing thousands of immigrants on their voyage to Canada.

Thousands more died while ships were quarantined on the St. Lawrence River at Grosse-Île.

In 1847 alone, 5424 people were buried on Grosse-Île.

Irish Memorial National Historic Site of CanadaQuarantine Station building.

The Terrible Year

“In the 1850s, many Québec families adopted Irish orphans, their parents dead from ship's fever on the Atlantic crossing… Out of sympathy for the victims and their homeland, orphanages were careful to preserve the Irish identity of the children, keeping a record of their natural parents, their parish and county of origin, and the vessel that brought them over. The records also included the names and addresses of the foster families, most of them French-Canadian.” www.histori.ca

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10165

Pioneer Life

Once they left their ships, the newcomers made their way inland by boat or wagon.

When the families reached their plot of land, each family faced the same challenge: clearing the dense forest.

Pioneer Life

“The women are discontented and unhappy. Few enter with their whole heart into a settler’s life. They miss the little domestic comforts they had been used to enjoy; they regret the friends and relations they left in the old country; and they cannot endure the loneliness of the backwoods.”

– Catherine Parr Trail 1812

A Very British Colony

The arrival of so many people from Britain changedthe identity of the British colonies:Vast areas opened for farming. New industries (logging and mining) emerge.Towns developed to serve the needs of the local

community. New jobs (labourers, servants, doctors, teachers,

loggers, miners). Followed British customs and traditions. Played British games.Spoke English.

The Underground Railroad

In 1833, Britain banned slavery in all of its colonies.

Canada was seen as the “land of promise” among the slaves in the southern United States.

http://www.histori.ca/minutes/minute.do?id=10166

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a network of escape routes that were described using railroad terms. Including:

“Passengers” “conductors” “stations”

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a network of escape routes that were described using railroad terms. Including:

“Passengers” - runaway slaves fleeing from the South.

“conductors” - Their guides “stations” – safe locations ('safe houses', barns,

and haylofts in the day)

Thousands of antislavery campaigners, both black and white, risked their lives to operate the railway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwudeKaCxjY&feature=related

The Underground Railroad

The Underground Railroad was a network of escape routes that were described using railroad terms. Including:

“Passengers” - runaway slaves fleeing from the South.

“conductors” - Their guides “stations” – safe locations ('safe houses', barns,

and haylofts in the day)

Thousands of antislavery campaigners, both black and white, risked their lives to operate the railway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwudeKaCxjY&feature=related

Getting the Message Out

Those involved in the Underground Railroad couldn’t openly talk about how the railroad worked.

Slaves could not read or write; it was illegal to teach a slave to do so.

They would pass on messages using codes in songs, stories, and images.

Getting the Message Out

Secret messages in the form of quilt patterns helped slaves escaping captivity in the Southern states.

The quilt patterns, used in a certain order, relayed messages to slaves preparing to escape.

Each square pattern represented a different meaning.

QUESTIONS

6. Why were the ships that carried immigrants to Canada nicknamed “coffin ships”? (2 pts)

7. Why was 1847 considered a “terrible year” for Canadian immigration? (3 pts)

The Underground Railroad

Answer ONE of the following questions. (5 pts)

1. Imagine you are a slave. You have no rights and no freedom. Six days a week you toil in the fields for your master making him wealthy. One of your friends is talking about escaping north to freedom. Do you go with them? Explain your answer. Be sure to include reasons for escaping, hardships you must face/overcome, and possible sources of help. If you choose not to escape explain you reasons.

2. You have been asked to hide a fugitive slave overnight. If you get caught, you will be sent to prison. What would you do? Explain your answer. Be sure to include your reasons for aiding the fugitive slave. If you decide not to hide the fugitive slave explain you reasons.