The Great Migration

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The Great Migration

• 1815-1838

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Upper Canada

• After the War of 1812, waves of settlers from
  Great Britain (Ireland, Scotland, England, and
  Wales) took their place.
• In 1832 50,000 people came to Canada

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Why would people come to Canada?

• 1. Loyalists - left the United States during and
  after the American Revolution.
• 3 types of Loyalists
• African American Loyalist Britian offered
  freedom to any slave who would join British
  Troops (3500 came to Nova Scotia)
• Aboriginal Loyalists The Iroquois were allies
  of the British were worried their lands would
  be lost if the Patriots won (5000 Iroquois
  settled in Canada)
• Supporters of the British side during the
  American civil war

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Overnight, population of towns grew from a few
hundred to 10,000. The entire population of Nova
Scotia was 12,000 before the arrival of 35,000
refugees.   There were many disappointments among
the Loyalists, who had been promised free land
and food. Many were dumped ashore and expected
to survive on their own. They had come from
prosperous farms and now had to start all over
again, clearing farmland and building
houses.   The British government split the colony
of Nova Scotia (1784) in two and created the
colony of New Brunswick. 80 of the settlers in
the new colony were Loyalists.
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SOURCE B Eyewitness sketch of Loyalist refugees
at Johnston, Upper Canada 1784

• Using Source A
• Why would people of Nova Scotia have been not
  happy to see the Loyalists arrive?
• Using Source B
• What would life have been like in the Loyalist
  camp in the picture?
• What challenges faced the Loyalists even if they
  were given free land?
• Imagine that you are one of the people in the
  picture. Write a letter to a relative,
  describing your feelings about your new country.

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Loyalists - continued

• The Loyalists were the first large group of
  English speaking newcomers to settle in Quebec
  and Nova Scotia. Their experiences during the
  American Revolution helped make sure that Canada
  remained connected to England.

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Why would people come to Canada?

• 2. Many tenant farmers in Great Britain were
  being forced to leave their small farms because
  it was more profitable for the landlords to use
  the farms to graze sheep.

They sold the wool to factories made more money
than renting to farmers
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Come to Canada Cont

• Unemployment
• -the 25 year war in Europe was over and many
  soldiers were not needed

- Machines were taking jobs away from
craftspeople (eg. Weavers)
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Come to Canada Cont

• 3. In Ireland in the 1840s, many people were
  starving because of poor potato crops.

Video
Alternate link
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Come to Canada Cont

• By 1860, the majority of English speaking people
  in Canada were of Irish Descent.
• Irish greatly changed make-up of Canadian society
• They were mostly Catholic
• not necessarily loyal to England
• Many preferred cities to farming
• By 1871, there were 846 000 Irish in Canada, out
  of a population of 3.5 million
• Only the French outnumbered them

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Recruiting

• Britain was eager to see more people settle in
  British North America (Canada) so
• Immigrants were offered free passage to Canada
• Soldiers were given great incentives to go to
  Canada (food for a year, tools, etc)
• This turned out to be very expensive for the
  British Government so Private Land companies were
  formed.

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Private Land Companies

• Land developers were granted large sections of
  land (Crown Land) and in return, they promised to
  bring in Settlers.

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What to Bring

• Families should take their
• BeddingBlanketsSheets, c.Pewter plates, or
  wooden treuchersKnives and forks, and
  spoonsMetal cups and mugsTea kettles, and
  saucepansWorking tools, of all descriptions.(A
  large tin can, or watering pot would be useful.)
• Single Men must have
• A bed or mattressA metal plate, or wooden
  trencherSome kind of metal cup or mugKnife,
  fork, and spoonAll, or any of which, may be
  procured at Portsmouth, if the parties arrive
  there unprovided. See Capt. Hale's Instructions,
  p. 72

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More What to Bring

• The following is the lowest outfit, recommended
  to Parishes for their Laborers, of course,
  including such articles as they already possess.
• A fur capA warm great coatA flushing jacket
  trowserssicA duck frock and trowsersA canvas
  frock and two pairs of trowsersTwo Jersey
  frocksFour shirtsFour pairs of stockingsThree
  pairs of shoesA bible and prayer book
• Women in the same proportion, especially a warm
  cloak.All the above may be purchased at
  Petworth.
• It is also a matter of great importance, that
  emigrants should take with them a good character,
  (if they should have the happiness to possess
  one,) fairly written, and well attested also,
  copies of marriage or baptismal registers, or any
  other certificates or papers likely to be useful
  the whole to be inclosed in a small tin case.

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C. Coffin Ships

• The voyage lasted 20-60 days
• CARGO ships (made for carrying timber)
• Called coffin ships, because when they sank
  everyone went down with the ship.

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Living Conditions

• Primitive
• Unsanitary
• Cramped
• Rat infested

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Living Conditions