Post 1867 Flashcards
Is Canada a Nation?
- Made non-emotionally
- Some think if we come together then probelms solved.
Initial Problems?
- Different identities: culture, class religion, language.
- How to preserve these and create unified country?
Confederation was a Political Event
- Not all recognized confederation
- Not all affected initially
- 1867 some would view as year they lost crops, not confederation year.
- People were not more political than they are now.
Lord Monck
- 1st GG congrats Canada parliament on laying foundation for new nationality
- July 1st - NS, NB, QB, and ON
- PEI and NFL did not want to join - less to gain.
How to Est. Domestic Peace?
- State confederation was political and would not touch your identity.
George Cartier (Canada East premier)
Statement
- Tried convincing French folks they would not lose their independence
- “now when we were united together, if union was obtained, we would form a political nationality with which neither the national origin or the religion of any individual would interfere”.
George Cartier Cont.
- Meaning
- We are not coming together because of ethnicity or geographical location, but because we choose to come together and have a shared loyalty to certain institutions.
Nationhood
- Did not mean independence (not a revolution)
- Canada still a colony, but a big one called a dominion
- Had more power for internal issues, but British parliament controlled external issues.
Views on being British Subjects
- Some ok with it as it made them feel part of something meaningful/powerful and not a small country.
- Alternatives were not great: Not big or strong and annexation issues.
1867 - Anti-Americanism
- Many believed to be different and superior to Americans
- USA politics inferior
- Uncomfortable with Republicanism and democracy.
- USA is a dangerous neighbor
Canada/USA Connections
- Dispite views we had strong connections
- Main trade partners
- Cultural similarities
- Constitution similar: federal system with provinces
- So complicated relationship become a theme.
Confederation an On-Going Process
- Started July 1st 1867 with plan to keep going
- 1870 - Manitoba joined
- 1871 - BC joined
- 1873 - PEI joined
- So continued to grow rapidly.
Confederation - Gov’t Parties
- Needed new federal gov’t and parties
- Parties of colonies came together to form federal parties. Difficult due to different views.
- Blue parties became conservatives and red parties liberal
Party Ideological Differences
- Fed vs. Prov Power
- Tariffs
- First 30 yrs cons about federal power and libs about provincial rights.
- Economics: Cons wanted protective tariffs and libs wanted free market.
- These views all change over time.
Population overview at Confederation
- 3.2 million
- 4/5 born here, but depended on area
- Quebec 10/11 people born here
- Ontario 1 in 3
Polulation Con’t
- FN
FN - 30,000 = 1%
- Kept seperate from people
-Sect. 91 of BNA created seperate lands and placed gov’t as responsible for them.
- Not included in confederation debates
- White people knew nothing about them and thought they were dying out - disease and assimulation.
Population Con’t
- French Canadians
- 1/3 of population until 1960s
- 80% lived in Quebec
- 10% in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick
- English and French Canadians did not interact in mid 19th century
Population Con’t
- British
- Northern/Western
- 60% of population
- Some been here a while and decsendants of loyalists
- Recent immigrants
- North/West Mixed and made up 10% of pop.
Population Con’t
-Africans
- Some from loyalists who fought in American Revolution
- Promised to live freely
- Some came escaping from USA slavery
- Many in NS
- Lots of racial predjudice - voting, schooling, etc.
Other Divisions
- Gender
- Different roles -Women at home
- Women roughly 50% of population
- women lacked basic rights
- Lacked all rights after marriage as legally one
- Focus on families and not individuals at the time
Other Divisons
- Religion
- Mostly Christian
- Most Catholic
- Religious differences affected politics
- E.g. Schools - Religious or not?
- E.g. Hospitals ran by churches
Other Divisons
- Location
- Lots of rural living
- Few cities
- Railway connected people and good for trading and settleing
- Historiography
- ## How historians have approached different ideas differently at different times. E.g. WWI viewed then vs. now.
What did confederation mean?
- Different interpretations
- Read differently based on contemporary issues facing people
- Look at the past differently based on what is happening presently.
Confederation Interpretations (1)
- Top down
- Arthur Lower Statement
What happened in 1867 was that the Crown in the fullness of its wisdom, decided to rearrange its administrative areas in British North America. All were cast into the crucible of imperial Omnicompetence and came out remelted. Should I name new and fused.”
Arthur Lower Interpretation Con’t
Implies central gov’t, as inheritor of British authority, has most power and can change the constitution.
- So explains who did confederation and where its power comes from.
Confederation Interpretations (2)
- Compact Theory
- About the provinces
- provinces decide on the nature of the new nation.
- It is an agreement between provinces and Fed gov’t.
- Provinces give feds power, but can change the agreement.
Compact Theory Con’t
- Tremblay Report
“The union of 1867 met the common needs of the provinces.”
- Implied provinces could take powers away if feds misused them.
Confederation Interpretations (3)
- Pact between French and English
The two founding nations
- Agreement between two founding nations.
- Argues confederation needs to meet the needs between French and English
- If it doesnt it can be taken apart - seperate party basis.
- Became unwritten spirit of the BNA
Pact Con’t
- George Stanley Quote
“idea of a compact between races was not a new one in 1865. It had already become the vital thing in our history. It influenced both the political thinking/vocabulary of the day and it was already on the way of becoming a tradition and a convention of our constitution.”
Pact Con’t
- Issues
- What about FN people?
- Not all like this theory as it makes Quebec out to be half the country and not just one province.
Possible Essay Question
- How did its process of confederation make Canada different from other nations?
- What might be some problems or strengths associated with this?
What happened after confederation?
- Focus on expanding westward
- Purchase of Rupert’s land
- George Cartier and William McDougall sent to London to negotiate in 1868
Boundaries of HBC
if the rivers emptied into the Hudson Bay then it counts as Rupert’s land.
Rupert’s Land Present Day
Western Quebec, Northwest Ontario, Manitoba, Most of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and parts of Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.
Rupert’s Land
- Not much contact with others
- Focused on fur trade
- Developed slowly to prevent interference with fur trade
- Only one colony at Red River
Inhabitants of Rupert’s Land
- Indigenous people, European fur traders, and Metis.
- Life centered on buffalo hunt, fur trade and farming.
- Metis had larger population than Europeans, but smaller than other indigenous people.
Center of HBC
- Fort Garry
Fort Garry, Assiniboia
- Current downtown Winnipeg
- Attractive to Eastern Canada due to fertile lands by Lake Winnipeg and the Fort.
- Central area for Metis people.
Why Expand West?
- Agriculture Settlement
- Land in Ontario was used up.
- Wanted resources – fertile land
Why expand west?
- Transcontinental Nation
- Sea to sea
- Many thought this would make Canada great
- Crucible for Canadian nationality
Why Expand West
- USA Annexation
- Also expanding
- Settlers already in area
- 1864 charter for construction of North Pacific Railway from St. Paul to Seattle
- USA had control over transportation, economics and population
- Bought Alaska for 7 million which cretaed fear of blocking Canadina expansion westward
USA Secretary of State
- William Seward
“I know that nature designs that this whole continent, not merely these 36 states, shall sooner or later be within the magic circle of American Union.”
Obstacles of Getting Territory
- Money
- Small population
- HBC owns a lot already
- Metis
Obstacles
- Real Estate
HBC wanted 40 million
- Canada paid with money and land.
- 1.5 mill, kept posts and land.
- Land sold for 120 million later.
Obstacles
- Metis in the area
- Not included in process
- Concerned about losing rights, culture, religion, hunting, etc.
- John A. MacDonald realized this was a mistake.
Metis Con’t
- MacDonald Statement
“no explanation, it appears, has been made of the arrangement by which the country is to be handed over. All these poor people know is that Canada bought the country from the HBC and they are handed over like a flock of sheep to us.”
What happened after purchase of Rupert’s Land
- Which Act?
- June 1869 Canadian Parliament passed “An Act for the Temporary Government of Rupert’s Land in the Northwest Territory”.
- First step was buy land, second step was set up gov’t.
- Wanted to make it a colony and not a province due to small population.
- So appointed governor and council and not elected. No reps in Ottawa.
What happened after Purchase Con’t
Third step was to get the land in order
- Sent surveyors and McDougall
- Residents viewed this as they would lose all rights
- Upset that small group called Canadianists already settled in area
Result of Surveyors
-Louis Riel
- Stopped surveyors/McDougall from entering land
- Set up provisional Gov’t - National Committee of the Metis
- Ceased Fort Garry - mostly peacfully
Declaration of the People of Ruperts Land and the North West
- Riel main author
- Wrote grievances and demands
- Willing to accept annexation if they were not stripped of property or denied religious, French language and education rights.
John A. MacDonald Response
- Wanted control of the area so USA would not enter conflict
- Sent catholoc bishop and Donald Smith to negotiate
- Tried offering Riel and leaders money and employment
- Delegation of Metis sent to Ottawa to negotiate.
Bill of Rights
- Included (5)
- Right to elect their own legislature
- A guarantee to connect Winnipeg by rail
- French and English to be language of the legislature
- Treaties to be ratified between the government and Natives
- Fair representation in the dominion parliament.
So they want what other parts of Canada already have.
Canadianists in Red River
- Upset with Metis for taking over area. Considered it treason to gov’t and now their job to stop them.
- Thomas Scott and others planned an attack against the provisional gov’t.
- Scott and others got arrested.
Thomas Scott
- Irish protestant from Ontario
- Led Canadianists
- Riel and Metis viewed his actions as treason against provisional gov’t.
- Held Metis trial.
- Executed March 4, 1870.
- Riel thought execution would show Canada they were serious.
Scott Execution Aftermath
- Ont vs. Quebec
- Produced outrage - Red River Rebellion now a national crisis.
- English protestant Ontario angry. Viewed Scott as trying to stop treason and was murdered.
- French catholic Quebec viewed Riel (french) as fighting for their rights against English expansion group and supported Scott’s death.
Aftermath Con’t
- Scott became a martyr - Poems, stories, songs, etc.
MacDonald Negotiated
Kept Quebec and Metis happy by giving them what they wanted.
- Entered confederacy as a province
To keep Ontario happy he sent an army to Red River colony to secure the NW.
Manitoba Act
- Passed July 18th, 1870
- Assiniboia location (Red River Colony) became Manitoba
- Act included the Bill of Rights
- Included both English and French language
- Set precedents for future provinces
- Seperate protestant and catholic school divisions
MacDonald/Force/Riel
- Sent military to area to show the Metis they could not do this again.
- Also show force so USA would not annex
- Riel fled to USA - found guilty for murder of Scott - five yr banishment from Canada
- Riel convinced he won victory, but another Metis rebellion happened a decade later.
BC Joins Confederation
- Why was it appealing?
- Debt due to gold rush
- Dislike for current gov’t
- Response to those wanting annexation
- Britain wanted them to join
Debt Due to Gold Rush (1)
- Most wealth for BC came from gold rush in 1858
- Victoria from 300 - 6000 people in 6 weeks
- Gold running out just before confederation - people left
- Town spent lots on infrastructure before people left and once they left the town became broke.
Gold Rush Cont.
- Britain tried solving financial issue by having the colonies of BC and Victoria combine into one colony
- Said to be first step of confederation
- Would reduce administrative costs
Dislike for Current Gov’t (2)
- after colonies united it was given colonial gov’t - appointed officials
- Many people came from the USA and wanted a democratic gov’t
- Thought if they joined Canada then they would have similar gov’t as the rest of Canada
Response to Those Wanting Annexation (3)
- Joining Canada was best option
- Joining would better protect BC as it was vulnerable - far from rest of Canada due to fur trading territory
- It would be surrounded
Why did some want to be part of USA?
- Many from USA
- Trade routes/main trading partner
- Steam ships came from there
- Many businesses came from USA.
Why did Canada win?
- White people saw BC as British outpost
- Gov’t follow British Tradition
- People in parliament were British
Britain wanted them to join (4)
- Canada wanted an empire but not the expenses. If BC joined then Canada could help financially, but not bear all of it.
- BC important link its all-red route to the orient - You had to go through British territory to travel anywhere in the world
- Outpost on North Pacific coast benefited Canada
Britain wanted them to join (4)
- William Gladston
Britain PM
“Victoria, as the San Francisco of NA, could achieve greater commercial and political power being part of Canada than as the capital of the isolated colony of BC”.
Amor De Cosmos
AKA
William Smith
- Born as Smith, but went by Amor De Cosmos which meant “lover of the universe”.
- Member of Vancouver Legislature
- Met at first confederation meeting in 1866 and argued BC should join.
- He did not like current gov’t
- Put motion forward and told they had to wait until deal is done with Rupert’s land.
William Cont.
and
Gov. Musgrave
1867 committee in Victoria voted for confederation
- Wrote Canada stating they had no mechanism to determine wishes of the people - no voting system.
- Musgrave became Governor. Previous NFL governor and told to encourage confederation.
Opposition to joining
- What did Canada offer?
- Already had ties with USA
- Nobody in colony from eastern Canada so no connection.
- No physical connection
- Parliament officials worried about their positions if they joined
Opposition Cont.
Concerns about the form confederation would take.
- Would enter as colony with little representation.
- Should not join until we have more power/democracy
1870 Delegates and Negotiations with Chretien
Went to Ottawa for talks
- Negotiated with Chretien
- Delegates wanted connection to economic activities
- Gov’t promised railway completed in 10 yrs
- Promised gov’t
- Promised to take over debt
- So they got an unreal deal.
Why did Canada agree to it all?
- Vision of sea to sea
- Did not want annexation
- Benefits from railway
- Connect to USA trade routes
- Easier to control Manitoba - land on both sides
- July 20, 1871 BC became 6th province
PEI Joins Confederation
- Joined in 1873
- At original meeting iin 1866, but never joined
- Eventually changed their minds.
Why did PEI change its mind?
Settlement of land issue
- Founded by English who parcelled land to favorites of the Crown
- People could not own their own land
- PEI wanted money to buyout the land and not have increased taxes.
- First meeting the gov’t could not get enough money from Britain to help.
What did PEI do about the Land?
PEI colonial gov’t boughtout one major land owner
- Looked into free trade with USA to get money to buy the rest.
- Britain panicked and said no to allowing PEI talks with USA. However, this upset many people.
Opposition to it?
(3)
- Canada originally unwilling to give money
- Lack of representation in parliament
- Upset people with Britain over blocking free trade wit USA.
PEI Got Governor Robert Haythorne
Haythorne opened up talks with Ottawa.
Canada offered:
- assumtion of debt
- annual subsidy
- Up to $800,000 for land (not solid)
- Railroads become dominion property
- Continuous communication with mainland.
PEI Reaction to Offer?
Said no.
- Started building its own railway
- Thought it would solve issues, but there were no cities with people moving around. Created more debt.
- At this point the colony had to increase taxes or join confederation. Vote went to confederation.
- Became 7th province.
- Canada now a transcontinental country with three oceans. Took 13 years.
Canada’s next step after getting lands.
They had the land, now they needed to shape it.
- Remove people occupying it (FN people)
- Wanted farmland
- Wanted done formally without war like the USA
- Create law enforcement before settlers
- Created numbered treaties
BNA Act
- FN Responsibility
BNA divided fed/prov powers
- FN was Federal resp
- This followed British tradition of working from the top down. So Feds in charge of treaty making now.
- Created treaties to put FN on reserves.
- 1871-77 first seven treaties done.
Royal Proclamation 1773
After Brits defeated France
- States that Britain would not enter indigenous territory without paying.
- Settlers not able to purchase the land - only gov’t - top down precedents.
- First legal recognition of land title.
Dominion Policy on FN People and Reserves
- Acknowledged land rights and wanted treaties in order to get FN to extinguish land rights for small payments.
Wanted reserves: - least fertile lands
- help with assimilation
- Wanted good farm land and to make FN farmers.
Problems with Treaties
- Gov’t thought they were buying land and FN thought they were sharing it.
- Language issues
- Cultural issues
- Reserves set up to fail - bad land
- Gov’t failed to deliver on terms
Cree Leaders
- Poundmaker
- 1876 Plains Cree met at Fort Carlton to discuss terms
- Wanted better deal - better training/rations/equipment for transition.
- Gov Morris of Manitoba said no.
- Eventually Poundmaker agreed to terms.
Cree Leaders
- Big Bear
Knew treaties would destroy way of life and culture
- Reserves
- Culture
- Seperation
- Signed in 1882 as people were starving
- Bison gone due to overhunting and USA military.
Gov’t tactics to avoid FN creating opposition.
- Signed deals with FN in most dire state.
- Used missionaries to encourage treaties.
How Gov’t forced Assimilation
- Treaties to get people on reserves
- Indian Act - Assimilation/Enfranchisement
- Outlaw ceremonies - Potlatch and Sundance
- Residential Schools
Indian Act
Allowed gov’t to create Indian Affairs Dep’t/Agents
- Control every aspect of FN life
- Made them wards/children of the Crown
- No citizenship or rights
- Reserves were training grounds to teach FN to become Europeans
- Once assimilated they could become citizens
