CHAPTER 7: CHAPTER 7: THE GREAT MIGRATION THE GREAT MIGRATION

AND AND THE PUSH FOR THE PUSH FOR DEMOCRACYDEMOCRACY

CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 7 FOCUS QUESTIONS:FOCUS QUESTIONS:

• What challenges of co-existence did the Great Migration create?

• Why did peoples in British North America want more democratic government?

• To what extent did demands for more democratic government reflect challenges of coexistence in British North America?

• How did the response to demands for more democratic government shape Canada?

THE GREAT MIGRATIONTHE GREAT MIGRATIONAA

fter the War of 1812, Britain was eager to open up the backwoods to farming.fter the War of 1812, Britain was eager to open up the backwoods to farming.

It planned to fill its colonies with people from England, Scotland, Wales, and It planned to fill its colonies with people from England, Scotland, Wales, and

Ireland.Ireland.

BB

etween 1815 and 1850, more than 800 000 people came.etween 1815 and 1850, more than 800 000 people came.• This period in history is called the Great Migration.This period in history is called the Great Migration.

WW

hy did so many people want to leave Britain to live in the colonies?hy did so many people want to leave Britain to live in the colonies?• Let’s read page 201 to find out….Let’s read page 201 to find out….

CARTOON

Page 202

COMING TO THE COLONIES

Immigrants traveled from Britain to Canada by ship.

It was a long journey that lasted for many weeks.

For those with money, there were comfortable cabins.

T

he poor were crowded into the dark and filthy holds below deck, where diseases ran

rampant.

So many people died on these voyages that they called the boats “coffin ships.”

Some of the immigrants stopped in the Maritime colonies.

Most, however, continued up the St. Lawrence River to Québec City and Montréal.

From there, the newcomers travelled by land to Upper Canada.

• Read page 204

THE TERRIBLE YEARA

bout 30 000 immigrants arrived from Britain each year.

Two-thirds were from Ireland.

Then, in 1847, immigration from Ireland leapt to 100 000.

The potato crop had failed - so thousands set out for North America.

A cholera epidemic broke out aboard the ships – a quarantine station was created at place in Quebec called Grosse-Île (which is along the St. Lawrence).

Thousand died as the ships waited on the St. Lawrence River at Grosse-Île.

• Read “Cholera Controversy” on page 205

A VERY BRITISH COLONYT

he arrival of so many people from Britain changed the identity of the

British colonies.

The newcomers opened up vast areas for farming.

New industries such as logging and mining began to emerge.

People worked as laborers and servants, doctors and teachers, loggers and miners.

The newcomers brought another important change…

• They brought a very British flavor to their new communities.