Why did some of the colonies put aside differences and create a new country -- Canada

Political Features of British North America

Legislative Assembly

Two sides fought about best way to solve problems

Sometimes caused political deadlock

Canada East and Canada West had same amount of seats

Voters

Elected members of the legislative assembly

Male property owners

Laws

A bill needed to be approved by the legislative assembly, legislative council and the governor to

Executive council decided what bills were introduced to the legislature

Political System of the Canada’s in the 1850’s

Crown appointed the governor

Governor usually British nobility

Governor appointed the members of the legislative council and executive council

Physical Features of British North America

Climates

The length of seasons and amount of precipitation influences agriculture and the economy

Milder winters allow an area to work longer outdoors

Affects how society works

Vast Distances

Major Geographic Barriers

Mountains and Waters

Distance from Halifax to Vancouver is 5876 km

Took months for journeys in 1850s

First Nations People had Knowledge of Routes to Use

Needed knowledge because no roads, railways, canals, etc..

Showed them to Europeans

What Was Life Like in British North America?

Entertainment

No internet, television, or radio

Newspapers were popular and wrote letters

People attended church

Visited friends and families

Education

In the 1850s most kids stayed home to work

Canada West- 1840s some schools were open but only some attended

Most people couldn't afford to go to school

Daily Life

Outhouse and chambers for toilets

Light came from candles and lamps

Heat came from wood stoves which was needed to cut and hauled daily. The wood stoves are used for heating water and cooking.

Children

By 14 you were expected to work as hard as an adult

Older boys cleared fields, built fences and harvested crops

Young boys helped feed livestock and gather firewood

Girls learned to spin, knit, sew, cook, work in the garden, milk the cows, and care for the younger children

Expected to do chores by the age of 5

Gender

Women responsible for domestic chores

Men responsible for outside tasks

Everyone helped with big jobs

Who Were the People of British North America?

The Great Migration

A mass migration of people from Europe in the 1830s and 1840s. Poverty and food shortages drove thousands of people to emigrate.

Others came here from Ireland because of a disease that destroyed the potatoes

The Underground Railroad

Slavery has been illegal in British North America since 1833.

About 30 000 American slaves escaped through the Underground Railroad to Canada West and Nova Scotia

Between 1850 and 1860 Harriet Tubman made 19 secret trips to the American South. Helped about 70 people.

Slave owners put a bounty of $40 000, whoever found her can claim the money

The First Nations

They have been valued allies of the British in the fight against the Americans.

Important suppliers of fur to the Hudson's Bay Company