American Merchants and the Chinese Coolie Trade 1850-1880 ...
The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America...
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![Page 1: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
The Chinese in British Columbia
![Page 2: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold in California and BC
![Page 3: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
Due to racism the Chinese did not have the same opportunities so most reworked claims formally abandoned by white miners
![Page 4: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
• By the time gold was fading in 1883 of the 2000 miners left 1500 were Chinese. Many other Chinese had opened stores, restaurants and had farms in BC
![Page 5: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
CPR• In 1881 there was a shortage of workers for the
CPR so they hired Chinese labourers
![Page 6: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
• Between 1881-1885, 17,000 Chinese came to work on the railway earning $1.00 per day, providing their own food and lodging
• 600 Chinese workers died during the railway construction
![Page 7: The Chinese in British Columbia. In the early 1850's the First Chinese arrived in North America amongst the many other prospectors searching for gold.](https://reader036.fdocuments.in/reader036/viewer/2022062516/56649d9d5503460f94a86643/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
• The railway cheated many Chinese workers as they had been misled by cost of food and equipment which was deducted from their pay
• Forced to abandon dreams of moving back to China and moved to Victoria and Vancouver instead
• Caused an increase in racial tension
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• The Asiatic Exclusion League and the Knights of Labour were two groups that openly discriminated against and harassed Asians living in BC
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• Many Chinese did hard physical labour
• Were even cheated by the English speaking Chinese contractors that they worked for
• Two of the largest contractors, Loo Gee Wing and Sam Kee each had fortunes of near $ 1,000,000 by 1900
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• The Chinese also faced many social discriminations as they were segregated from the white, English speaking immigrants in BC
• In 1885 once the railway was completed a head tax of $50.00 was imposed on Chinese immigrants by the federal government to stop them from coming to Canada
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Head Tax• In 1900 Laurier's
government increased the tax to $100.00
• In 1904 increased the tax again to $500.00
• Cut the immigrants coming to Canada from China from several thousand each year to 8 in 1905
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• In 1923 The Chinese Exclusion Act was passed banning any immigration from China
• In 1947 the government revokes the Chinese Exclusion Act and give Chinese the right to vote