The American Revolution
· After the seven years war, France was no longer a threat to Britain
· France busy developing a colony near the St. Lawrence River, Thirteen Colonies (Americans) felt they no longer needed to keep ties with Britain (complained about being taxed but didn’t have any representatives in the British Parliament)
· Between 1763 & 1775, Britain and American colonies grew further apart…this eventually led to the American Revolution (a.k.a “The War of Independence”)…lasted for about 8 years
· Americans hoped that their neighbours up north (Canadiens) would join them against Britain…Americans took over Montreal first, then Quebec City
· Tough for Canadiens to join the Americans because the habitants of Quebec were able to keep their language and religious rights under the rule of the British
· The Americans’ invasion of Canada failed, but their war for Independence did not…at the end of the day, a peace treaty was signed in 1783, making the American colonies independent…thus, a new nation was born à THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Who were the Loyalists?
· Loyalists were made up of colonists who were against the Revolution (in fact, about 1/3, 33%, who lived in the Thirteen Colonies were loyalists…loyal to Britain)
· Why be a loyalists?
o They thought that the idea of using physical violence to overthrow was wrong
o Some fought as soldiers alongside the British
o Some enslaved Africans wanted freedom from their American owners
o Some were First Nations people who lost their land to the Americans
o Business reasons…with the British
· Therefore, loyalists went to Nova Scotia, Quebec
· First Nations Loyalists wanted the British to keep their promise regarding land
Cause and Effect Relationships
“Action and Reaction”
CAUSE à EFFECT
CAUSE: The Thirteen Colonies in the U.S. defeat the British in their War of Independence
EFFECT: Americans who supported Britain during the war are forced to move to Canada
Settlement Procedures
· Most of the loyalists arrived in Quebec with no more than the clothes on their back
· Due to unfamiliarity with the environment, the gov’t gave each family a tent, a gun, food supplies, clothing, basic farm tools, seed, and a few farm animals
· Lots (land) were assigned by drawing “location tickets” out of a hat; this seemed to be the most fair way of families having equal chance for the land à this is where the terms “lottery” and “drawing land” came from
· The tickets showed the specific/exact site of the Loyalist’s new property
· Each head of the family (man or woman) was entitled to 40 hectares, an additional 20 hectares was given for each member of the family
· Most generous grants were given to members of the militia (reward from Britain)
o Junior officers: received 200 hectares
o Senior officers: about 400 hectares
Creating Upper Canada
· The upper country that was settled by the Loyalists was part of Quebec, but they asked the British to make their territory a separate colony because they wanted an assembly where their elected representatives could meet (the Loyalists also wanted British laws and the British system of holding land)
· The British government agreed à in 1791, Quebec was divided at the Ottawa River
o The Western part became Upper Canada (present-day Ontario)
o The Eastern part became Lower Canada (present-day Quebec)
· The Constitutional Act of 1791 stated that each province could elect an assembly, raise taxes, and pass laws (each colony had its own governor and an appointed council to advise the governor)
The Impact of the Loyalists
The Impact of the arrival of the Loyalists in Quebec and Nova Scotia was deep:
· Led to the creation of new colonies (Upper Canada & New Brunswick…now provinces)
· Arrival of a large number of English-speaking settlers established a bilingual identity for Canada
· Loyalists added value (injected new economic energy) into the British Colonies (vast areas of land were cleared for farming, new towns appeared, and new businesses were launched)
· Unfortunately for the First Nations, they were being pushed aside to make room for the new settlers
A NEW SOCIETY
Clearing the Land
-Most newcomers to Upper Canada settled as farmers
-The life of a pioneer farmer was tough, they ‘broke their backs’ from dusk to dawn
-They cut trees with an axe (this was difficult because it was slow)
-Most of the logs that were cut were burned, but the rest were set aside to build shanties (a simple shack or cabin, 1-2 rooms with a dirt floor); shanties would house families over the winter
-Main crops were wheat and corn; however, barley and oats were also grown…farmers grew veggies for their own consumption and traded the leftovers…they usually had cows and pigs as well…moreover, wild berries, plants, and nuts added to each family’s food supply
Building the First Home
-1st home was usually a shanty or cabin (simple and cost-effective, but uncomfortable)…no windows but the gaps in the log allowed for fresh air to come through…a doorway was cut after the logs were notched and fitted into place…there weren’t actual doors so they used a blanket or rug as a door covering
-when the settlers could afford it, they built a better home (usually a log cabin with an attic for sleeping and a stone fireplace to keep the family warm during the winter season)...the shanty became a shed for farm animals
Roles on the Farm
-on a backwoods farm, men and women were equal partners (both worked hard equally in order to make farms a success)
-William Chewett, a pioneer, said that without a wife “it is impossible to exist in this settlement”…in short, he inferred that just one person couldn’t do the work necessary to run a backwoods farm
-Women worked with their husbands in the field; they also:
Tended the vegetable garden
Milked the cows
Collected eggs from the chickens
Took care of domestic chores, such as taking care of: washing clothes, cooking meals, watching the children, & chopping wood for the fire
No stoves or washing machines; therefore, wet laundry had to be carried from the river and hung to dry…this required a lot of physical strength
Even children had tasks to do…what tasks do you think the children had?
The First Governor
-In 1791, when the British established Upper Canada, they appointed a governor in order to organize the colony à “Governor John Graves Simcoe”
John G. Simcoe was a soldier who fought for Britain during the American Revolution
-He was a man full of energy and this was evident when he did his job
-He travelled all over Upper Canada and spent nights in tents and sharing pork and bread with the settlers at their backwoods farms
-He showed genuine interest in many aspects of the colony
-His wife, Elizabeth Simcoe, also loved Upper Canada and when it was their time to return to England, Elizabeth was quite upset to leave
-When York became the capital of the colony, Elizabeth had a summer house built over the Don River (she called this home “Castle Frank” after her young son
