Canadian History 1900-1914: Immigration and Growth

Unit 1: Introduction to Canada 1900-1914

Immigration and Policy

Immigration: The movement of people from one country into another. Canada experienced its largest wave of immigration between 1901 and 1911. Three reasons for increasing immigration were to provide cheap labour for businesses, prevent the USA from expanding into territories, and satisfy railroads and businesses that believed there would be a high demand for Canadian natural resources.

Open Door Policy: An act providing few restrictions on who could immigrate to Canada, with the exception of criminals.

Imperialism:

Nationalism: A feeling of extreme patriotism toward one's country (Britain).

Métis: A person of mixed American Indian and Euro-American ancestry; in the 19th century, they constituted the Métis nation in areas around the Red and Saskatchewan rivers.

Anglo-conformity: The belief that immigrants should abandon their cultural traditions and adopt the behaviour and values of English society.

Push Factors for Immigration

Push factors are circumstances that caused people to leave or made them want to leave their country for another:

• Political upheaval
• Political or religious persecution
• Racial discrimination
• Poor economic conditions
• Lack of land
• War

Pull Factors for Immigration

Pull factors are circumstances that made another country appealing to immigrants or made them want to move there:

• Low cost of travel to Canada
• Free land
• Chance at a new start, education, decent income, and good jobs
• Better future for their children
• Peace
• Weather

Immigration Preferences and Strategies

Types of Immigrants:

1. Canada preferred British, American agriculturalists, French, Belgians, Dutch, Scandinavians, Swiss, Finns, Russians, Austro-Hungarians, Germans, Ukrainians, and Polish.
2. Canada did NOT want Italians, South Slavs, Greeks, Syrians, Jews, Asians, Gypsies, or Blacks.

Attracting New Settlers

A massive advertising campaign was launched, including posters, pamphlets, travelling exhibition vans, and the offer of 165 hectares of free land for every family. The Canadian Pacific Railway and steamships made it easier for people to travel to Canada.

British Empire: Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand were three countries, along with Canada, that were part of the British Empire.

Major Historical Events

• 1907: Riots broke out in British Columbia, protesting immigration from China, Japan, and India.

Important Figures in Canadian History

1. Clifford Sifton: Canadian Minister of the Interior; responsible for implementing Canada's Open Door Policy; he desired experienced, strong, and healthy farming immigrants.
2. Louis Riel:
3. Thomas Scott:
4. Sam McLaughlin:
5. Lucy Maud Montgomery:
6. Stephen Leacock:
7. Guglielmo Marconi:
8. Reginald Fessenden:
9. Mary Pickford:
10. Tom Longboat: One of the most famous athletes in the early 20th century, he collapsed at the London Olympics in 1908 and was carried grief-stricken off the course.