Canadian Confederation and BNA History Facts

What is Confederation and When Did It Occur?

Confederation marks the birth of Canada, which officially occurred on July 1, 1867.

The Two Cultures of the Province of Canada

Canada East

Followed French culture and primarily spoke French.

Canada West

Followed British culture and primarily spoke English.

British North America and the Hudson's Bay Company

In the mid-1800s, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled territories including Rupert's Land and New Caledonia.

The Great Migration: Two Main Events

• The Irish Potato Famine
• The Underground Railroad

Colonial Development in British North America

Canada East

• Industry flourished in Montreal in the late 1840s.
• Factory work was primarily performed by women and children.
• Workers often faced physical abuse and received lower wages than men.

Canada West

• Industrialization flourished in the 1870s.
• Factories produced textiles, clothing, curtains, beds, ovens, and household goods.
• Despite a slower start than Canada East, the region caught up quickly.

The Maritimes

• Shipbuilding was vital due to the fishing industry and overseas trade.
• Shipyards eventually adapted to steam-powered shaping and drilling methods.

The West

• Thinly populated with little industrialization until the late 1800s.
• First Nations and the HBC managed the fur trade in the Prairies.
• The HBC restricted settlers from moving to the region to protect the fur trade from agricultural disruption.
• Industry began in the 1880s.

Social Roles and Characteristics in BNA

Gender and Age Roles

• Women: Responsible for domestic chores and occasionally agricultural labor.
• Men: Primarily focused on farming and manual labor.
• Children:
  • Girls learned to spin, knit, sew, cook, garden, milk cows, and care for younger siblings.
  • Young boys helped feed livestock and gather firewood.
  • Older boys cleared fields, harvested crops, and built fences.

Social Characteristics

While society varied across BNA, two common traits existed:

• Distinct class divisions (social status dictated speech, behavior, and dress).
• High levels of migration into and out of settled areas.

The Political System

The colonial government structure consisted of:

• Governor
• Executive Council
• Legislative Council
• Legislative Assembly (Canada East and West)
• Voters (East and West)

The Political Deadlock

The two main issues causing the deadlock were:

• Canada West: Politicians wanted to expand transportation infrastructure to increase trade and wealth, and were willing to use government funds to achieve this.
• Canada East: Politicians resisted these changes, fearing that better links with Canada West would threaten their cultural identity and opposing the use of tax money for transportation improvements.

Maritime Colonies Before 1784

The only two colonies in the Maritimes before 1784 were Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Historical Names

• British Columbia: Formerly known as New Caledonia.
• Victoria: (Historical context regarding regional naming).

Legislative Union

Canada East and Canada West joined together in a single legislature in 1841.