Grade 8 Social Studies

Chapter 4: How the People Were Governed

Colonial Building, St. John’s, late 1800s

PART 1: NAVAL GOVERNOR TO CROWN COLONY

1800:- NF was part of the British Empire and governed from London. NF was considered

a “fishing station”, not a permanent settlement. The Naval Governor (a military officer) was in charge during fishing season.

1816 - 1818:- NF had 50 000 permanent settlers. The colony experienced falling fish prices,

increased immigration, poverty, unrest, and violence. The “Winter of the Rals” (nickname for the starving and homeless). Britain sent emergency relief money, and Governor Sir Francis Pickmore was assigned year-round.

1824:- Britain made NF a Crown Colony, giving it some say in how things were run. The

Civil Governor was advised by a local council, but controlled by Britain

PART 2: REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

1832:- Britain grants Representative Government to NF (like other BNA colonies)

- House of Assembly consisted of 15 MHAs elected from 9 Districts.

- No districts on the West Coast, the French Shore, or in Labrador.

- Women and poor people were disenfranchised (no right to vote).

- MHAs could only suggest laws to the Governor.

- MHA’s were mainly poor people, fishers, Irish, Roman Catholic.

- Legislative Council, appointed by the Governor, made laws.

- They were mainly wealthy merchants, English, Protestant

Representative Governmentin Newfoundland, 1832-1855

British Monarch

Governor

Legislative Council House of Assembly

Voters

elected by men 21+

appoints

appointsCould only

suggest laws

Had the power to make laws

Newfoundland Electoral

Districts, 1832

No districts on the West Coast,

The French Shore, or Labrador

PART 3: RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT

1855:- Reformers pressured Britain for Responsible Government, which would give the

people the power to make laws

- The Governor and Legislative Council opposed this, because they didn’t want to lose their power

- However, in 1855, Britain granted NF Responsible Government, placing the power and “responsibility” of running NFs internal affairs in the hands of its people

- MHAs elected to the House of Assembly were given the power to make laws

- MHA’s from the winning party were appointed to the Executive Council (which they called the Cabinet)

- Premier (leader of winning party) and Cabinet had power - not Governor

- Two Parties: LIBERAL (Catholic) and CONSERVATIVE (Protestant)

Responsible Governmentin Newfoundland

British Monarch

Legislative Council House of Assembly

Executive Council

Voters

sends members

appoints

Had the power to make laws

elected by men 21+

Premier

Could only suggest laws

appoints

Governor

Newfoundland’s first Premier

PHILIP LITTLE (1855-59)

CORRUPTION and VIOLENCE:

- 1861: Governor removed the Liberal government for corruption and incompetence, and put the Conservatives in power. This caused riots in St. John’s, in which 3 people were killed, 20 wounded.

PART 4: MAJOR EVENTS DURING THE YEARS OF RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT (1855-1914):

CONFEDERATION DEBATE:

- 1867: ONT, QUE, NB, NS form the Dominion of Canada

- 1869: NF Premier Frederic Carter campaigned for Confederation with Canada in the General Election, but lost 21-9 to Anti-Confederate Charles Fox Bennett. People were worried about losing power over their affairs, higher taxes, and losing denominational education.

- 1874: The Denominational School System was formally established, with public funds given to churches to run their own schools (this system lasted until 1997!)

Newfoundland Premier

Frederic Carter (1865-69 and 1874-78)

PRO-CONFEDERATE

Newfoundland Premier

Charles Fox Bennett (1869-74)

ANTI-CONFEDERATE

Anti-Confederation PosterConfederation Advertisement

DENOMINATIONAL EDUCATION:

- 1874: The Denominational School System was formally established, with public funds given to churches to run their own schools (this system lasted until 1997!)

BUILDING OF THE RAILWAY:

- 1881: Construction of a trans-island railway began – hoped to create jobs in land-based resources like mining, farming and logging. It was finished in 1897!

Questions: see pp. 82-83

• Why did it take so long to complete?

• How did it affect the Mi’kmaq?

• What was the Battle of Foxtrap?

By 1883, the railway line reached Whitbourne

By 1882, the railway line reached Holyrood

THE ST. JOHN’S FIRE OF 1892:

- Joined wooden houses made it difficult to contain a fire

- No professional fire department

- 3 major fires, but amazingly, only 5 lives lost

- However, massive destruction, thousands of people homeless, $13 million loss

Downtown St. John’s after the 1892 fire.

Tent colony on the shore of Quidi Vidi

Lake.

THE 1894 BANK CRASH: December 10, 1894: Black Monday Commercial Bank and Union Bank could not open because it had no money to pay its depositors. A major decline in the cod and seal fishery, and a withdrawal of investment money caused the crash. With no solution, Canadian banks moved in to replace Newfoundland banks, and Canadian currency became legal tender.

The last Newfoundland paper money was issued in 1920, and the

last coins were minted in 1947.

THE FISHERMEN’S PROTECTIVE UNION:

• Political and economic dominance of St. John’s caused resentment in rural Newfoundland

• In 1908, William Coaker formed the Fishermen’s Protective Union (FPU) to help working class people get a fair share of the wealth their labour created. By 1914, the FPU had 20 000 members

• Coaker set up FPU trading stores to sell supplies to fishermen at cost price

• By 1913, the FPU had 8 MHA’s in government and played a big role in improving the lives of workers

The FPU Trading Store on Duckworth Street in St. John’s in 1915.