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Chapter
3
Confederation Investigated
A Buzz in the Colonies
FRENC
H RIG
HTS
WILL
B
E
PROTE
CTED
LP DEFEND
WE CAN HE
R
EACH OTHE
TAXES WIL
L
INCREASE
G IN
HIN S
T
O
U
N
FOR
IT
SE OUR
WE WILL LO
NCE
INDEPENDE
ADE
R
T
CAN
WE GETHER
TO
Predicting
1. Which colonies might be most in favour of
Confederation? Which might be most against it? Why?
2. What do you think the three greatest advantages and
disadvantages of Confederation would be?
31
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Unit 1: Confederation
Skill Building: A Group Investigation—Part 1
It is the 1860s. Everywhere people are chattering
with excitement about the union of the colonies.
Would union be a good idea? Why would people
support union? Why might they be against it? You
are about to decide what you would do if you
were living in one of the colonies at the time.
Decision-making is the process of choosing
the best alternative to solve a problem or
answer a question.
You may take the names of actual Fathers of
Confederation from each colony if you wish.
The Decision
3. Your task is to decide as a group what your
colony thinks about union with the other British
North American colonies. Follow the decisionmaking model on the next page. An example has
been started for you using the colony of
Newfoundland.
1. Divide the class into six groups. Each group
represents one of the colonies:
C
We s t
da
ana
Ca
B ru
N ew
cotia
n sw i c
un
wfo
dw
P rince E
4. Keep track of what each colony in the class
decides to do about union. Later you can compare your decisions with what actually happened
in history.
East
a
nad
aS
N ov
Ne
2. Each colony should meet separately and
study the material about itself presented on the
following pages.Your group could also do further
research to learn more about the life, politics,
economy, and prominent people in the colony in
the early 1860s.
k
dland
a rd I s l a n d
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
1. DECISION TO BE MADE
Should our colony join or not join the
other British North American colonies in
Confederation?
4. EVALUATE REMAINING
ALTERNATIVES
What are the advantages and disadvantages
of each?
What is important to you?
What are the possible consequences?
2. ALTERNATIVES
• Our colony should join the others in
Confederation.
• Our colony should not join others in
Confederation.
• Our colony should join the United
States.
• Our colony should only join in a union
of Maritime colonies.
• Other alternatives
5. DECIDE WHICH
ALTERNATIVE IS BEST
Based on your evaluation of the alternatives, decide on the best one.
6. MAKE YOUR DECISION
3. GATHER INFORMATION
ABOUT ALTERNATIVES AND
ELIMINATE SOME
Factors to Consider
Economy
Population
Political situation
Leadership available
Transportation
Advantages and disadvantages of uniting
can be gathered from the text, other
history books, newspapers and magazines
of the time, film accounts, slides, charts,
maps, graphs, tables, etc.
33
State the decision you have made.
State exactly what you are going to do.
7. EVALUATE THE DECISION
Is this the best decision?
After you have made your decision, turn to
Part 2 of the group investigation on page
48—The Presentation.
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Unit 1: Confederation
Canada West
Lake Mic
h
ig a n
In the mid 1800s, Canada West is a colony rich
in farmland and forests. Farms are becoming
more prosperous and new farm machinery
makes the backbreaking work easier. Daniel
Massey at Newcastle and Alanson Harris at
Beamsville are producing
ploughs and horse-drawn
mechanical reapers. The
James
two businesses will eventuBay
ally form the large farm
equipment firm of MasseyHarris.
Other new industries are
Lake
also becoming established.
Nipigon
Small manufacturing companies are producing woollen
CANADA
and leather goods, glass,
Lake Superior
EAST
paint, carriages, and furniC
AN
ture. More goods are being
Otta wa R.
AD
manufactured to compete
AW
Ottawa
ES
with imported products
T
Georgian
Cornwall
Bay
Lake
from Britain and the United
Brockville
Orillia
Huron
Peterborough
States.
Kingston
Owen Sound Barrie L.ake
Simcoe
More than 80% of the
Toronto
Lake Ontario
Hamilton
people live in the rural
St.
Catharines
Brantford
N
Niagara Falls
Sarnia
areas, but the cities and
London
Windsor
towns are growing rapidly.
Lake Erie
UNITED
Toronto is the largest city.
STATES
There are problems, however. Men, women, and even
children work long hours in
dangerous jobs in the factories. There are no
farming often have to go to the American
laws to protect them. Unemployment is very
West to find available land. People are
high, especially in the winter when construcsaying that it is time the Hudson’s Bay
tion projects stop.
Company opened its vast western lands for
Drunkenness is a serious social problem. In
settlement.
Toronto alone, in 1850, there are 152 taverns
2. Political deadlock makes it impossible to
and 206 beer shops. Heavy drinking often leads
get many bills passed through the
to violence and crime. Riots and street fights
Assembly.
are common. People are hurt and even killed
3. The population of Canada West is now
and property is damaged.
greater than that of Canada East. People
in Canada West want representation by
population to gain a stronger voice in the
Special Problems
Assembly. Many people feel that the exist1. Good farmland in Canada West is becoming
ing government favours Canada East.
scarce. Young people who want to start
0
250
500
750 km
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35
Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
Facts and Figures
Total Population, 1861 1 396 000
Largest Cities by Population, 1861
Toronto
Hamilton
Ottawa
London
Kingston
Brantford
56
26
21
15
12
8
000
700
500
826
400
100
How People Make a Living
The largest part of the population is engaged
in farming. In the cities, in 1861, the main
occupations are:
clerks
carpenters
saddlers
brewers
shoemakers
blacksmiths
booksellers
bankers
grocers
hotel-keepers
preachers
Oil! One of the most important new industries in Canada West is petroleum. James M.
Williams is developing North America’s first
oil well at Oil Springs during the late 1850s.
In 1862, oil is discovered at nearby Petrolia.
Hugh Shaw hits the first free-flowing gusher.
Oil flows out at the rate of 2000 barrels a
day and brings a price of $10 a barrel.
Kerosene made from the oil is used in
lamps. Asphalt is made for paving streets.
Railways
The St. Lawrence River has no year-round icefree port. For half of the year, goods must be
transported on American railways through
American territory. A railway to Halifax
through Canada East, New Brunswick, and
Nova Scotia will provide an all-British route for
trade and defence. Railway building is booming
in Canada West in the 1860s.
Defence
There is the possibility that the Fenians will
attack along the Canadian-American border in
the Niagara region and around Prescott on the
St. Lawrence River.
Fathers of Confederation
John A. Macdonald
1815-1891
George Brown
1818-1880
William McDougall
1822-1905
Alexander Campbell
1822-1892
Oliver Mowat
1820-1903
James Cockburn
1819-1883
William P. Howland
1811-1907
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Unit 1: Confederation
Canada East
t
Ot
Maurice R .
St.
The rural farmer is the backbone of Canada
East. Only 20% of the population lives in cities.
The French-Canadian farmers, known as
habitants, live on long strip farms that hug the
shores of the St. Lawrence and other rivers.
They pride themselves on
their French language and
customs. They build their
own stone houses and make
Hudson
most of their furniture from
N
Bay
the abundant wood supply.
LABRADOR
Their clothes are also homemade. Most of the food they
James
eat is produced on their
Bay
farms. The most important
farm products are potatoes,
rye, buckwheat, maple
sugar, and livestock.
CANADA EAST
Montréal in Canada East
is the largest city in all of
nce R.
NEWFOUNDLAND
a w re
St. L Gaspé
the British North American
Chicoutimi
colonies. It is developing as
Gulf of St. Lawrence
Sagu enay R
the economic capital and
Québec
transportation centre.
P.E.I.
awa
NEW
Trois Rivières
er
BRUNSWICK
Canals along the St.
CANADA
A
Montréal
WEST
Lawrence link Montréal to
Atlantic Ocean
TI
Ottawa
O
SC
y
d
A
n
Lake Ontario. New railways
V
u
fF
NO
yo
are also spreading out from
Ba
UNITED STATES
the city. Some of the wealthiest people in Canada live in
Montréal in elegant mansions. Many of the wealthy are Scots who have
Special Problems
made great fortunes in iron and steel works,
1. Political deadlock is making it impossible
flour mills, steamship lines, and timber.
to get anything done in the government of
Montréal is also a city of striking contrasts.
Canada East and Canada West. Both
There are thousands of French who cannot
English-speaking and French-speaking peospeak English, and thousands of English who
ple are accusing the other group of always
cannot speak French. It is easy to trace the two
wanting its own way.
main divisions of the population in Montréal.
2. The loss of the preferred markets in Britain
Taking St. Lawrence Street as a dividing line, all
means that the colony must look elsewhere
that is east of it is French-speaking and all that
to sell its industrial and farm products.
is west of it is English-speaking.
3. In any union of colonies, the French-speaking people of Canada East feel they will be
swamped by an English-speaking majority.
v
Ri
0
150
300
450 km
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
37
Railways
The St. Lawrence River
has no port that is free
of ice all year round.
For half the year, goods
must be transported on
American railways
through American territory. A railway to
Halifax through Canada
East, New Brunswick,
and Nova Scotia will
provide an all-British
route for trade and
defence.
Defence
There is danger that the
Fenians will attack
along the Canadian-American
border south and east of Montréal.
Most people in Canada East live in villages.
They are proud of their French-Canadian culture and heritage.Their clothing, celebrations,
food, and houses are distinctive.The stone
houses have steep sloped roofs to keep off
snow in winter.
Facts and Figures
Total Population
1 112 000
Largest Cities by Population, 1861
Montréal
Québec City
107 225
59 700
Fathers of Confederation
George-Étienne Cartier
1814-1873
Alexander T. Galt
1817-1893
Thomas D’Arcy McGee
1825-1868
Hector L. Langevin
1826-1906
Etienne P.Taché
1795-1865
Jean Charles Champais
1811-1885
How People Make a Living
Most of the people outside the towns and
cities are farmers. Lumber, however, is the
primary natural resource of Canada East. In
the bush, hundreds of workers cut trees and
square them with broad axes.Then they float
the logs to the St. Lawrence River during the
spring floods. Sawmills turn the logs into
planks and boards for sale in the United
States. Factories in Canada East make shingles, furniture, matches, washboards, doorframes, and windows.
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Unit 1: Confederation
New Brunswick
Re
sti
go
uc
he
R.
Almost 90% of New Brunswick is forest.
Lumber is the colony’s most valuable resource.
Agriculture is developing and potatoes are a
major product. More than
half of the colony’s land is
CANADA EAST
suitable for farming, but a
great deal of it is not yet
Chaleur Bay
Campbellton
Gulf of
cultivated. Deep sea fishSt. Lawrence
ing is also an important
industry. Haddock, cod,
NEW
and halibut are among the
catch. Inshore fishing proBRUNSWICK
Newcastle Chatham
duces salmon, herring,
mackerel, and lobsters.
i R.
mich
Mi r a
In the 1860s, Saint
PRINCE
EDWARD
John is one of the largest
ISLAND
oh
nR
Stanley
cities in the Maritimes. An
.
ambitious, commercial
Dorchester
city, it seems very
STATE
Fredericton
NOVA
OF
American. The editor of
SCOTIA
MAINE
the Kingston newspaper
described it like this: “In
Saint John
Saint John, you see big
Bay of
men casually dressed,
Fundy
N
with their hats tilted at an
angle of 45 degrees on the
backs of their heads,
smoking cigars in hotels on Sunday, and talking Special Problems
politics. There are more flashy dressed ladies at 1. Railways cost a great deal of money to
theatres and concerts than in Canada.”
build. Only Britain can supply the funds to
Few citizens of New Brunswick know peocarry out the job. For reasons of defence,
ple of the Canadas very well. Premier Tilley of
the British want to keep any railway away
New Brunswick arranges to have some memfrom the United States-New Brunswick borbers of Parliament and business people from
der. But that is exactly where the railway is
Canada visit his province. The visit convinces
needed most, in the settlements of the Saint
Maritimers that Canadians are not as foreign
John River valley. Without British funds,
as they have supposed. Both Canadians and
New Brunswickers can afford to build only
Maritimers see they have many things in coma small railway from Saint John to Shediac.
mon. They speak the same languages, English
Railways would help to increase trade.
or French. They fly the same flag and share
2. Many are worried the Fenians might attack
many of the same laws and customs.
New Brunswick.
There are differences though. Each colony
3. The population of New Brunswick is small.
has its own money and postage stamps.
With representation by population, New
Each charges the others duty on all goods
Brunswick would have little influence in
shipped in.
Confederation.
J
Sai nt
0
50
100 km
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39
Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
Railways
Many New
Brunswickers hope to
connect Saint John
and Montréal by rail
through the Saint John
River valley. They
hope for a rail connection with Nova Scotia
too. Then they can
trade with the markets
of Canada to the west
and Nova Scotia to
the east.
Defence
New Brunswick shares
a long border with the
United States. In the
event of war, the
colony will have difficulty defending this border. Many fear that the
Americans might invade New Brunswick to
punish Britain for its part in the American
Civil War.
Facts and Figures
Total Population
252 000
It is the great age of sail! By the 1860s, great
wooden sailing ships built at shipyards such
as James Smith’s shipyard in Saint John are
known all over the world. Every third ship in
the British fleet is built in Britain’s North
American Atlantic colonies. Sailors from the
Atlantic colonies travel the seas to trade
with places as far away as India and Japan.
This photo shows a great wooden ship
being built.
Largest City by Population, 1861
Saint John
28 805
How People Make a Living
In the woods of New Brunswick, thousands
of lumberjacks cut trees and float them
down the rivers to the mills. In the mills, the
logs are cut into planks and exported to all
parts of the world. Many of the ships in
which they are transported are themselves
built in the shipyards of New Brunswick.
Fathers of Confederation
Samuel Leonard Tilley
1818-1896
John M. Johnson
1818-1868
William H. Steeves
1814-1873
Edward B. Chandler
1800-1880
John Hamilton Gray
1814-1889
Peter Mitchell
1824-1899
Charles Fisher
1808-1880
R.D.Wilmot
1809-1891
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Unit 1: Confederation
Nova Scotia
Special Problems
1. Nova Scotians are worried about the new
steamships. They fear that these steamships
may some day take away all the business
from their wooden sailing ships.
2. Since 1854, Nova Scotia has enjoyed free
trade with the United States. What would
Gulf of St. Lawrence
PRINCE EDWARD
ISLAND
Nort
hum
CAPE BRETON
ISLAND
Charlottetown
er
b
Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia, is an
impressive centre. The citadel is a fortress of
great strength overlooking the harbour and city.
In many ways, it is
like the fortress of
Québec City, strong
and well constructed.
It is so high that, if
attacked from the
harbour, little damage
could be done to its
NEW BRUNSWICK
massive walls.
The harbour of
Halifax never freezes.
That is why it is the
chief station for the
British navy in the
Saint John
west Atlantic. You
Bay of Fundy
can usually see
British battleships
lying in the harbour.
British soldiers in
their scarlet tunics
brighten the streets.
Yarmouth
Good agricultural
land is not plentiful
in Nova Scotia. Only
about 10% of the
land is good for farming. Most of this is
located in the Annapolis Valley and in northern Nova Scotia. Fishing and shipbuilding are
the major industries.
There is no railway connection between
Nova Scotia and Canada East and Canada West.
Few Nova Scotians know many people from
these colonies. Nova Scotians are ready, however, to talk to the other Maritime colonies
about the possibilities of a Maritime union.
la nd
Sydney
Strait
Canso
NOVA
SCOTIA
Halifax
Atlantic Ocean
0
100
200 km
N
happen to Nova Scotia if the United States
put heavy taxes on goods coming from
Nova Scotia?
3. Most of Nova Scotia’s trade is with Britain,
the United States, and the West Indies.
Nova Scotia trades very little with Canada
and the other Atlantic colonies.
Railways
Some people suggest that an intercolonial railway should be built between Nova Scotia and
the Canadas. Nova Scotia could then carry on
trade with the Canadas.
Defence
Nova Scotia feels reasonably secure against an
attack because of the large number of British
soldiers and sailors stationed in Halifax.
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
Halifax is an important commercial and military centre in the Maritimes. Ships carry cargo
to and from Britain, the West Indies, and the United States. Halifax has the first newspaper
in the British North American colonies—the Halifax Gazette founded in 1752.
How People Make a Living
Nova Scotia faces the sea. Most families are
connected with seafaring ventures in one way
or another. In 1863, more than 150 000 Nova
Scotians fish for a living. Fish remains the
most valuable natural resource. Haddock,
cod, and lobster are the main catches.
Other Nova Scotians sail on merchant
ships transporting goods around the world.
Cod is delivered to the West Indies and the
United States.Wool from Australia is transported to Europe on ships sailing out of
Nova Scotian harbours. Sometimes these
ships carry immigrants to new homelands
around the world.
Shipbuilding is an important industry.The
Nova Scotia schooner and clipper are famous
on the Atlantic. Even when fully loaded, these
softwood ships are light, graceful, and speedy.
Facts and Figures
Total Population, 1861
331 000
Largest City by Population, 1861
Halifax
19 580
Fathers of Confederation
Charles Tupper
1821-1915
William A. Henry
1816-1888
Jonathan McCully
1809-1877
Adams G. Archibald
1814-1892
Robert B. Dickey
1811-1903
John William Ritchie
1808-1890
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Unit 1: Confederation
Prince Edward Island
An Aboriginal legend tells that long ago the
Great Spirit took some dark red clay and
formed it into a
crescent. He placed
it on the blue waters
of the Gulf of St.
Lawrence and made
PRINCE
it the most beautiful
EDWARD
land in the world.
ISLAND
Soon Mi’kmaq peoNEW
N
BRUNSWICK
ples from the mainNo
Charlottetown
rt h
um
land crossed the
b er
lan
dS
tra
stretch of water in
it
CAPE BRETON ISLAND
their canoes. In summer, they built their
NOVA
dwellings in coves
SCOTIA
along the shore.
They fished in the
rivers. In winter,
they found shelter in
the forests and hunted for game and birds. The
farmers in Prince Edward Island are
Mi’kmaq called their island “Abegweit,” which
renters. They clear the land, plough it, but
means “cradle on the waves.”
never own it. Each year they send their rent
Prince Edward Island is a beautiful island
to the absentee landlord who lives in
cradled on the waves of the Gulf of St.
Britain and who never sets foot in Prince
Lawrence. Sandy beaches glisten in the sunEdward Island. This has been going on for
shine. Farm houses and barns dot the land100 years. The farmers want the British govscape. Most of the forests have been cleared
ernment to force the landlords to sell the
for farming. The island’s rich soil is its major
farms at a fair price.
natural resource. Up to 90% of its land is good
2. During the winter, Prince Edward Island is
for farming.
completely cut off from the mainland. This
Prince Edward Island has well-established
means that all supplies and all mail are cut
trade links with Britain and the United States.
off. Sometimes an iceboat mounted on runThe colony is surrounded by water, which is an
ners and propelled by sails manages to
advantage for commerce. It is easy to send
cross the Northumberland Strait with mail
products to market by ship.
from England and the other colonies.
Shipbuilding is also a major industry.
3. Prince Edward Island is isolated. Even in
Lumber is supplied from the nearby forests.
the summer it has little contact with other
However, some Islanders worry that the shipBritish North American colonies.
building industry may be in trouble. Wooden
4. The population of the island is very small.
ships are being replaced by steam vessels.
In a union with other colonies, it would
have few representatives.
5. Ottawa seems like a long way from Prince
Special Problems
Edward Island. People making decisions
1. No farmer on the island owns the land. The
there would not know the Islanders’ needs.
farms are owned by landlords in Britain. All
0
50
100 km
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
Charlottetown is the largest city and the capital of Prince Edward Island. No one on the island
lives more than one day’s journey from the city. Charlottetown has many fine buildings and
churches, including an impressive Legislature. It was constructed in 1847 to house the government
of the colony.This sleepy little capital would come to play an important role in Confederation.
Railways
How People Make a Living
Since the colony is an island, a railway link
with the other colonies does not make much
sense.
Defence
Prince Edward Islanders do not worry about
being attacked by the United States since they
do not share a common border. In the event of
an invasion by sea, the British Navy will protect
them.
Some Prince Edward Islanders fish, but the
main industry is farming.The rich, red soil
produces excellent crops of potatoes, oats,
and hay.The food not eaten on the island is
exported to England, Nova Scotia, and New
Brunswick.
Fathers of Confederation
Facts and Figures
Total Population, 1861
80 000
Largest City by Population, 1861
Charlottetown
7 000
John Hamilton Gray
Edward Palmer
William H. Pope
Andrew A. Macdonald
George Coles
Thomas H. Haviland
Edward Whelan
1812-1887
1809-1889
1825-1879
1829-1912
1810-1875
1822-1895
1824-1867
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Unit 1: Confederation
Newfoundland
Plac
entia
Bay
Str
ait
of
Be
lle
Is l e
In the 1860s, most people in Canada East and
Canada West know nothing about Newfoundland. Since it is an island, the only way to get
there is by steamboat.
LABRADOR
Newfoundland is
nearly as large as the
other three Atlantic
colonies put together.
CANADA
The coastline is
EAST
rugged and indented
with many bays and
inlets. Most people
live along the coastBonavista
N
Corner
line. The rest of the
Anticosti
ay
Brook
B
ity
Island
island is dense forest,
rin Heart's Content
NEWFOUNDLAND T
swamps, and rock.
St. John's
Atlantic
Ocean
There are no roads
Gulf
Placentia
of
across the island.
St. Lawrence
Miquelon
When people want to
(France)
visit their friends,
St. Pierre
(France)
they get into their
boats and call in at
the coves along the shore.
Ocean. Messages can now be sent between this
These fishing families live in plain,
tiny fishing village and Britain.
unpainted houses on the cliffs. Their homes
overlook the coves where their fishing boats
Special Problems
are anchored. Beside their houses are wooden
1. All through the 1860s, the fishing and seal
racks where they dry the codfish they catch.
hunting are bad. Many families are hopeThey grow potatoes and turnips in small garlessly in debt to the merchants. By 1865,
dens, though the soil is not good for growing
one-third of all money in the colony is spent
2
crops. The island has only 168 km of cultion helping the poor.
2. Since 1713, the French have been allowed
vated land. Newfoundlanders have to depend
to catch fish and dry them on the west
mostly on the sea.
shore of this island colony. NewfoundFrom the earliest days, Newfoundland has
landers fear that the French want to use
traded fish with Britain. In return, Britain prothis shore for more than their fishing stavided the manufactured goods the Newfoundtions. French warships are seen in the Gulf
landers needed. People wear clothes and shoes
of St. Lawrence. Newfoundlanders wonder
made in Britain and read British newspapers
if Britain will be prepared to protect them
and magazines.
in case of trouble with France.
Another link with Britain is by transatlantic
3. Most Newfoundlanders do not want to lose
cable. On 27 July 1866, a telegraph cable was
their independence. Britain granted the
hauled ashore at Heart’s Content, Newfoundisland its own government in 1855.
land. This cable lies on the floor of the Atlantic
0
100
200
300 km
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
45
Newfoundland is the oldest and largest of Britain’s Atlantic colonies. Almost all of the colony’s
people are originally from Britain. St. John’s is the largest city and the heart of the colony. Buildings
hug the seashore and ships are constantly in the harbour.
4. Ottawa would be too far away for
Newfoundlanders to have much influence
on government policies.
5. The cost of buying goods from Canada
would be higher than buying goods from
Britain because of the tariffs.
Railways
Railway links with other colonies do not interest Newfoundlanders because they have the
sea for their highway.
Facts and Figures
Total Population, 1861
122 000
Defence
Newfoundland depends on the British navy,
which is second to none. Newfoundland has little fear of being attacked by the United States.
How People Make a Living
Almost everyone is connected with the fishing industry or seal hunting. Rich merchants
buy the fish.They also sell ropes, hooks,
canvas, salt, barrels, and sou’westers to the
people who go out fishing. Sou’westers are
oilskin hats with wide brims at the back,
worn by seafaring people.
Fathers of Confederation
Largest City by Population, 1861
St. John’s
30 475
Frederick B.T. Carter
Ambrose Shea
1819-1900
1815-1905
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Unit 1: Confederation
Tech
Link
The First Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
he telegraph has been
called the “original information highway.” In 1837, an
American named Samuel Morse
invented a way to send messages along a wire using electric
signals. Soon, North America
and Europe were criss-crossed
with wires strung on poles.
T
A telegraph key from
the early 1900s
These wires carried silent electric messages. The invention of
the telegraph shrank the distances across continents.
People could send messages to
others parts of the continent in
a matter of minutes. But there
was still a gap of nearly 3200
km across the Atlantic Ocean.
From Heart’s Content, this first telegraph message was sent across the Atlantic
to Ireland: “We arrived here at 9 o’clock this morning. All well.Thank God, the
cable is laid and is in perfect working order.” The Great Eastern returned to sea
quickly and started grappling for the broken cable lost in 1865.The cable was
found and spliced. By September, there were two working transatlantic cables
linking Newfoundland to Ireland.
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
The idea of laying a telegraph cable across
the Atlantic Ocean seemed like an impossible
task to most people. But, by 1866 there were
two transatlantic cables stretching from
Ireland to Newfoundland. It was a challenging
task that failed twice before a line was successfully laid. On one expedition in 1865, the
cable broke two thirds of the way across the
Atlantic. The project was started up again the
next year. The ship, the Great Eastern, left
Valencia, Ireland laying out cable. This time it
was successful! On 27 July 1866, the transatlantic cable was hauled ashore at Heart’s
Content, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland—the
most easterly point in North America.
A Maritimer, Frederick Newton Gisborne,
helped make this possible. In 1852, Gisborne
invented a method of insulating cable to make
it salt water resistant.
1. a) A telegraph link across the Atlantic was a
technological wonder in the mid 1800s.
How do you think it changed the lives
of people in Canada and the Atlantic
colonies at the time?
b) What modern technological advance
could you compare it to? Explain.
2. What difficulties do you think had to be
overcome to lay this fragile copper wire on
the floor of the Atlantic Ocean?
3. Create an ad for the Atlantic Telegraph
Company encouraging people to use this
new means of communication.
Fast Forward
Postal Services
Before the telegraph, mail was the only way people had to communicate with each other over a
distance. Postal services in Canada have a long
history. In 1851, the Province of Canada took over
the post office from the British government. That
year the post office issued its first stamp, the red
“Three-Penny Beaver.” In 1867, the post office
became a department of the new federal government. In its first year, it handled nearly 22 million
letters, 19 million newspapers, and 39 000 parcels.
That is close to what is handled today in one day.
In the mid 1820s, steamboats began transporting
mail. In the 1850s, railways vastly increased the
speed of mail delivery. In 1918 the first official
Canadian airmail flight took place, and in 1939
daily cross-country airmail service began. Today
the post office has expanded its services and
issues a wide variety of stamps, many commemorating important people and events in our history.
Find out more about the history of Canada’s postal
services by visiting these web sites:
www.canadapost.ca and
www.civilization.ca/cmc/cmceng/npmeng.html
(the Canadian Postal Museum).
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Unit 1: Confederation
Skill Building: A Group Investigation—Part 2
So you’ve made your decision.You know what
position your colony will take at a Confederation
Conference.You have worked out a plan of
action. Now you must get your ideas across.You
have to be able to present your decision clearly
and effectively before representatives of all the
other colonies. Remember this is a momentous
time in Canadian history and you are there!
How could you best present your decision?
Consider the following points.They will help you
to prepare.
The Oral Presentation
1. Be Clear About Your Purpose
Decide what the purpose or theme of your presentation will be. In this case, it is to let the class
know where your colony stands on the idea of
union.
2. Check Your Content
Be sure of your facts. Check your research carefully. Decide on which facts you are going to use
to most effectively get your points across. Use
your own words.
Make sure you can explain both sides of the
issue to the other conference delegates.What
are the advantages and disadvantages of the
alternative you chose?
3. Organize Your Material Carefully
Your material must be carefully organized if you
want your audience to understand it.Write
down an outline to follow. One way is to:
a) present the main idea (i.e., each advantage or disadvantage)
b) present supporting facts and details.
Arrange your information in a logical
sequence. If your colony is in favour of union,
explain all the disadvantages of staying apart.
Then talk about each of the benefits of getting
together in a strong union.
If your colony is opposed to union, explain all
the disadvantages of uniting.Then talk about the
benefits of staying apart.
4. Use Visual Aids and Examples
Visual aids and examples will make your presentation more interesting and personal. Facts can
be effectively presented using charts, graphs,
maps, and pictures. Newspaper articles, photos,
and maps can also serve as examples to support
your ideas.
See if you can find quotes from people who
lived in your colony in the 1860s (you could
record these as audio clips). Or, be creative and
tell a story using your facts to illustrate what
people were thinking.
5. Other Hints For Presenting
• Be enthusiastic and your audience will be too.
• Be sure everyone in the group has a part to
play.This adds interest and variety.
• Try to look your audience in the eye as you
speak. Each person should feel that you are
speaking to her or him personally.
• Speak clearly and distinctly.The audience
must be able to hear and understand you.
• Have an outline of your presentation in
front of you in case you lose your train of
thought.
6. Summarize
Emphasize what your position is. Repeat your
theme. Clearly state why your colony wishes to
remain separate or to unite. Re-emphasize the
key points from your presentation.
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Chapter 3: Confederation Investigated
Activities
Understanding Concepts
1. Add the following new terms to your Factfile.
decision-making
absentee landlord
habitants
telegraph
citadel
2. a) What new and important natural resource was discovered in Canada West
in the late 1850s?
b) How could this resource be used?
c) Why would this resource be important for Canada West and the other
British North American colonies?
3. a) An intercolonial railway would link Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Canada
East, and Canada West. List the advantages of the railway for each colony.
Would there be any disadvantages?
b) Why might Britain not be willing to help finance the railway line in New
Brunswick?
4. Why was there little trade among the colonies?
Digging Deeper
5. COMPARE Copy and complete the following comparison organizer, filling in
the information for each colony.Then evaluate the results.Which colony do
you think might gain the most from a union? Which colonies might have the
least to gain? Summarize the reasons why.
Criteria
Colony
Canada Canada New
Nova
West
East
Brunswick Scotia
Prince NewfoundEdward land
Island
Population
Location
Political situation
Economy
Transportation
Defence
6. MAPSTUDY Referring to the map on page 25, give reasons why Montréal
became the centre of trade and transportation in the colonies.
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Unit 1: Confederation
7. THINK/DISCUSS List the major products of each colony. How might the
colonies benefit from exchanging these products? How might free trade and a
rail line linking them expand the markets available to them all?
8. ROLE PLAY Work in groups. Each person chooses one of the roles below.
Decide what arguments you would give for preferring a Maritime union over a
union of all the colonies.Then role play a conversation and videotape it.
c) a New Brunswick railway worker
a) a Nova Scotia merchant
d) a Newfoundland fisher
b) a Prince Edward Island farmer
9. WRITE Imagine you are one of the following people. Describe in a letter to a
close relative in England, France, or the United States how you feel your everyday life might be affected by Confederation. For example, if you are a FrenchCanadian merchant living and working in Montréal, how might your life change?
What benefits might the union bring to your business? What might it mean for
the city of Montréal? How might it affect your language and customs?
a) a French-Canadian merchant in Montréal
b) a lumberjack in New Brunswick
c) a newspaper editor in Canada West
d) a British naval officer stationed in Halifax
e) a shipbuilder in Nova Scotia
f) a farmer in Prince Edward Island
g) an elected member of the parliament in Newfoundland
10. RESEARCH/WRITE Do further research on one of the Fathers of
Confederation. Find out about the individual’s personality, background, and
ideas.Then write a short speech this Father of Confederation might have given
in support of a British North American union.
Making New Connections
11. CURRENT EVENTS Aboriginal peoples in British North America were not
given a chance to decide whether or not a union of the colonies would be
good for them or how they might be part of it.Their opinions were not considered. Over a period of a few weeks, scan national newspapers or newsmagazines for articles on Aboriginal peoples. Gather together the articles and note
what major issues and problems Aboriginal peoples are facing today in Canada.
How do you think Canada might be different today if Aboriginal peoples had
been able to give their point of view at the time of Confederation?
12. a) THINK As early as the 1850s, people in the colonies were involved in
the development of communications technology such as the telegraph
and postal services.Today, Canada is a world leader in communications
technology.Why do you think Canada has always been a leader in this area
(consider factors such as geography, population, history, etc.)?
b) RESEARCH Find out about the advances Canada has made in satellite technology. Prepare and display a timeline. Include visuals and short captions.