Canada: Pre-World War I

Social Studies 11March 2015

Canada: Still a British Nation

• Canada, even though it had its own government, was still very much controlled by Britain

Alaska Boundary Dispute

• In disputes with other countries, Britain would make decisions and settle disputes on Canada’s behalf

• Britain did not always act in Canada’s interests – this was evident in the Alaska Boundary Dispute

• When the United States purchased Alaska from Russia in 1867, the exact boundary between the remote northwest of British Columbia and Alaska was unclear

• Few really paid any attention to the boundary until gold was discovered in the Yukon in 1898

Canada vs. United States

• Canadians wanted the boundary measured from the mountains nearest to the ocean

• This would give Canada direct access to the Pacific Ocean by way of a number of inlets – they could take gold out and carry supplies in without passing through American territory

• Americans contended that the boundary was farther inland – this would cut Canada off from ocean access

Tribunal to Rule

• Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier agreed to have an international tribunal rule on the boundary

• The tribunal was composed of 3 American judges, 1 British judge, and 2 Canadian judges

• The British judge sided with the Americans and ruled in favour of the American boundary line – this meant that half the coast of BC would be cut off from access to the Pacific

Canada Betrayed

• Canadians were very angry about the decision• Felt that the British had sold out their

interests in order to keep peace with the United States

• Despite this, most English-speaking Canadians were proud to be British subjects and supported Britain’s desire to expand its empire throughout the world

French-Canadiens Favour Greater Independence

• French-Canadians, however, were not enthusiastic supporters of the British Empire

• Many of them were descendants of the people who had settled New France

• They saw themselves as Canadiens rather than British subjects

• The French-Canadians believed that Canada should be more independent from Britain

• French-Canadians also disagreed with Canada’s decision to send volunteers to fight with the British in South Africa during the Boer War

• French and English speaking Canadians were also divided over the issue of language rights – French Canadians had lost the right to French language instruction in Catholic schools first in Manitoba and then later in Saskatchewan and Alberta

Aboriginal Peoples

• Federal government controlled the lives of Aboriginal peoples through the Indian Act which came into effect in 1876

• With the arrival of American and European settlers in western Canada, the federal government forced Aboriginal peoples on to reserves

• Many Aboriginal peoples on the prairies were forced to give up their traditional ways of life and take up farming

• Poor quality land and the lack of farming equipment made farming almost impossible

• Many Aboriginal peoples faced starvation and very bad conditions

• Government also took away some of their reserve lands – “cut off lands” – for settlers

Residential Schools

• Aboriginal children were forced to attend church run residential schools

• Children experienced loss of language and culture; overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions; diseases; physical, emotional, and sexual abuse

Assimilation

• Indian Act and residential schools were both part of the government’s policy of assimilation – make Aboriginal people give up their own languages, cultures, and traditions and become part of the larger white, European culture

Urbanization• At the same time that

immigrants were settling on the prairies, many people were flocking to the cities and towns in search of not only work, but also social and cultural attractions

• There were significant differences in the living conditions for the poor and wealthy in Canada

Canada’s Economy

• Canadian economy depended on export of natural resources such as trees, wheat, and minerals

• Electricity became more common in factories and this led to more machines being used to produce goods

• Industrialization → more jobs → more demand for consumer goods

• Radios, telephones, and automobiles were becoming more common

• Canadian economy was dominated by a fairly small number of large companies

• These companies had the power to set high prices for their products and keep wages low for their workers

• Some workers began to form unions to fight for better pay, shorter hours of work, and safer working conditions

• When employers refused to agree to the unions’ demands, some workers went on strike

• By 1914, the Canadian economy was in a recession or an economic downturn – businesses were making fewer products and workers were losing their jobs