A Different Canada

Chapter 1(New Crossroads)

Introduction

At the turn of the 20th century:• Newfoundland was a self-governing colony• Nunavut was not created yet• Wilfrid Laurier was PM• Most lived on farms or small villages• Influenced by Victorian England• In 1911 – the pop was 7.2 million

What was Canada’s relationship to Britain at the turn of the century?

• Canada had its own gov’t but still depended on Britain to resolve disputes with other countries.

• Britain often made decisions that did not have Canada’s best interests in mind.

• Ex. Alaska Boundary Dispute – area between BC and Alaska in the Alaskan “pan-handle”. Lynn Canal provided assess to the Yukon gold. Settled in 1903, it was determined it was part of Alaska, angering Canadians believing Britain sold out Canada’s interests to keep peace with the U.S.

How did women influence Canadian society in the early 1900s?

• Since 1870s, Woman’s Christian Temperance Union was campaigning for prohibition (ban of alcohol) and the right to vote.

• They saw alcohol as the cause of many of society’s problems (poverty, abuse, neglect).

• With the right to vote, they could influence gov’t to address other social problems (child labour, pollution, and poverty).

• Along with Nellie McClung, women fought to break moral and legal codes – few rights over property or children, were not considered persons under the law, and even their salaries were the property of their husbands.

Why were the attitudes of English- and French-speaking Canadians different

regarding Britain?

• “t” chart• Feelings towards imperialism• Language rights

What challenges did Aboriginal peoples face in the early 1900s?

1. The Indian Act (1876) – regulated their lives and enforced the fed gov’t’s policy of assimilation, to make Aboriginal people abandon their traditions and adopt a European way of life.

2. Reserves – purpose was to free up land for settlers from Europe and to avoid the violent clashes from the U.S.

3. Aboriginal people were encouraged to take up farming, but attempts failed – unsuitable soil, poor equipment and animals traded for land, and would be denied passes to leave the reserve to market their crops – many experienced hunger.

4. Gov’t esta residential schools to force children to set aside their identity/traditions and become part of the dominant culture.

• Taken and sent to schools hundreds of kms away from their homes.

• Problems – overcrowded, unsanitary, lack of medical care, caused tuberculosis and other diseases, physically and sexually abused, punished for speaking their language, forbidden to practice their culture, and denied contact with their families.

5. Aboriginal pop was declining by the early 1900s.

What attitudes did many Canadians have toward minorities?

• F.S.C. – concerned that new immigrants would outnumber the Francophone pop.

• Most Canadians were ethnocentric and disliked outsiders.• Discriminated against and racist towards Asians and

Eastern Europeans because of their language and customs.

• R.B. Bennett declared in a speech in 1907, “BC must remain a white man’s country.”

• Their cheap labour was accepted, but Canadian workers joined in denouncing them when they competed for their jobs leading to the Vancouver race riots of 1907.

What steps did the gov’t take to control immigration to Canada?

• Your turn – answer the question on your own. Record your answer in you notes.

How did technology impact Canada’s economy during this period?

Essay Outline:Answer this question by researching a product/invention found in Canada at this time period and creating a thesis for an essay.

Use the Large worksheet provided.Hand in at the end of class.