Presentation Transcript

1. Chapter 6—Becoming Canada

   Social Studies 7
2. Rebellion in the 13 Colonies Rebellion in Britain’s Thirteen Colonies began in 1775 for a number of reasons: The Thirteen Colonies had an ever-growing population, and had been prevented from expanding into the Ohio River Valley when 1774’s Quebec Act gave the territory to Quebec. Britain prevented merchants in the Thirteen Colonies from trading with anyone but Britain. They also taxed them heavily, paid little for their resources, and sold manufactured goods back to them at much higher prices. Colonists had been living far away from British rule for many generations, and had developed their own identity: they saw themselves as Americans, and not necessarily as British subjects anymore.
3. Rebellion in the 13 Colonies In 1775, the War of Independence between the Thirteen Colonies and Britain began. American rebels thought that the citizens of Quebec would join their cause. They marched into the territory, hoping to gain the support of the Canadiens through invasion. This tactic failed—British soldiers and Canadiens were able to defend the city and drive out the American rebels. Eventually, the American rebels won their independence and were recognized as their own country in 1783.
4. The Loyalists Not all people living in the Thirteen Colonies supported the War of Independence. Many remained loyal to Britain—known as the Loyalists. They had various reasons for opposing the war: Beliefs in non-violent solutions Business/economic relations with Britain Military support for the British Slaves seeking freedom First Nations with grudges against the Americans The Loyalists were seen as traitors by the Americans—they were often punished, stolen from, or beat. Many Loyalists decided to flee the Thirteen Colonies, and fled North to Canada.
5. The Loyalists Roughly 40,000 Loyalists fled the Thirteen Colonies during the War of Independence, and many settled in Nova Scotia. The rising population meant that not all new settlers had enough land or supplies to support themselves or their families. This caused some struggle and unhappiness among the population of Nova Scotia. After the war in 1784, Britain divided the territory in two: the western region was renamed New Brunswick, the eastern remained Nova Scotia. Settlers were then encouraged to live throughout the entire region—although Canadiens and Acadians mostly settled in New Brunswick.
6. The Loyalists Many Loyalists also migrated towards Quebec, but did not like the idea of living in a French-speaking, Catholic region. They were instead encouraged to move onto land further west down the St. Lawrence, on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Sir Frederick Haldimand, governor of Quebec, “purchased” this land from the Anishinabe for a few guns and other goods—how might the Anishinabe have felt about this?
7. The Loyalists As more English-speaking Loyalists came to Canada to live in the new settlement upstream from Quebec, they brought their culture and traditions along with them. They wanted to keep their heritage, and the French wanted the same. Britain made the territory both bilingual and separate—the English settlement upstream near the Ottawa river was known as “Upper Canada,” while the French settlement around Quebec and Montreal was known as “Lower Canada.” Each colony had its own legal system, language, culture, and government. This helped each group to maintain its own heritage and identity, and also to create a bilingual nation.