England’s Dominions: Canada & Australia

1. (with a little Irish thrown in for good measure) England’s Dominions: Canada & Australia

2. Canada • 1763: (after 7 Years War), France gave Canada to England • Quebec had largest French-speaking population in Canada • center of French cultural influence • religion: Roman Catholic • The Quebec Act (1774): gave Quebec an appointed governor & council; made the Roman Catholic Church the established religion there • The Canada Act of 1791: divided the colony into Upper Canada (mostly English-speaking) & Lower Canada (mostly French-speaking) • Anglo-French antagonism continued to be a major feature of Canadian political, economic, & social life

3. Canada • Union Actof 1840: series of insurrections in Canada between French & British colonists • Lord Durham sent to Canada: reported back that Canada needed to be administered as one area with a single legislature, an appointed governor, & a greater degree of control over their own affairs • North American Act of 1867: • Anglo-French relations still strained • feared domination by the U.S. • Ontario+Quebec+NewBrunswick+Nova Scotia = Dominion of Canada • parliamentary form of government adopted • use of English & French guaranteed by law • all matters except foreign affairs handled by Canadians

4. Canada • Canada’s 1st Prime Minister = John A. McDonald • goal to expand across the continent to strengthen the Dominion • By 1873, Canada included Manitoba, British Columbia, & Prince Edward Island • Canadian Pacific Railway (1887): transcontinentalrailroad tied the eastern & western portions of the Dominion together • spurred settlement along its path • as towns grew & people/goods moved along the lines, 2 more provinces were added = Alberta & Saskatchewan • made it easier to move mining & timber resources

5. Canada • Relations with the U.S. • War of 1812 united Canadians (both Anglo & French) • border conflicts & trade disputes continued after the war • feared economic, cultural, & politicaldomination by the rapidly growing U.S. • political & cultural links with England, a strong French presence in Quebec, & concern about relations with the U.S. made it difficult for Canadians to forge a distinct, clearly defined national identity

6. Australia • 1770: Captain James Cook “discovered” Australia & claimed it for King George • Population: inhabited by 300,000 aborigines spread across the entire continent • economy based on hunting, gathering, & fishing • relatively undisturbed by outsiders before Cook came • Penal Colony: Britain had extreme overcrowding in its prisons • before U.S. independence, England sent convicts to Georgia • Australia now seemed to be a good substitute • 1788: Botany Bay received a load of British convicts • Captain Arthur Phillip=governor of the new penalcolony • food in short supply, morale very low, but colony survived

7. Australia • Island’s move from colony to nation was facilitated by the settlers’ ability to sustain a growing population • free settlers began to immigrate for available land • freed prisoners & discharged prison guards stayed too • found land to be conducive to sheep ranching & wheat farming • 1850s: gold discovered in southeastern Australia • influx of settlers = improvements in transportation, communications, & public institutions (ie. Schools & libraries) • Establishment of the Commonwealth: • separate colonies agreed to form the Commonwealth of Australia to decrease their vulnerability to outside forces • by 1911: all colonies united

8. Australia • “White Australia” • rapid immigration led to racial tensions • Asians flocked to the gold fields & were met with prejudice & hostility • labor unions feared that Asians would lower wages & decrease the standard of living • White settlers pressured the government to exclude Asians, Pacific Islanders, & other “undesirables” • result: Commonwealth Immigration Restriction Act of 1901 • no more Asians could enter

9. The Irish Question • Prime Minister Gladstone’s most troublesome problem • Roman Catholics in Ireland didn’t want to pay taxes to support the Anglican Church • Roman Catholics not allowed to hold office until 1829 when the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed(passed to avoid Irish protests) • Charles Stewart Parnell organized the Irish members of the House of Commons to vote as a bloc & gain attention for “home rule” (self-government) • Gladstone promoted two home rule bills, but neither passed through the conservative House of Lords • *problem still not solved today*