Life in Upper Canada

British North America

What are the colonies / land holdings of British North America?

Upper Canada – English By great lakes/ St. Lawrence

Forest being cleared/ settlement growing

Lower Canada – French (mainly) Down river - St. Lawrence

Montreal is thriving, attracts Scottish and American Settlers

PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia Maritimes thriving economy in fish/

forestry/shipbuilding

HBC: fur trade /land around Hudson’s Bay (shield) Competition in West is NWC out of Montreal

Life in Upper Canada

How was the land used in each colony?

What was life like in the colony of Upper Canada?

Aboriginals, Fur traders, Colonists (of many classes and cultures) compete for land Do you make a farm with roads and

towns, or hunt for beavers, or recognize Native land claims?

Agriculture is the center of all life/ economy/ culture

Close communities/ depend on neighbours

Church is social event

Barter economy (pay with goods)

Learn from Natives (survival/ farming)

Class System

What was the social structure? (class system)

Have class system – upper (aristocracy), middle (merchants) and lower (farmers)

Top in colony is the “Family Compact” Executive council (government) and

a social clique

Cheap labour not available – many upper class have to work the land too

Large estates and tenant farms (like serfdom) Many lower class want the American style

democratic classless system

Will lead to tension/ violence

Land: the most important part

Who owns the land?

Aboriginals have original claim, and try to sign treaties to prevent Britain from selling it all away

HBC wants exclusive rights, but colonies are growing

Upper class Land speculators and absentee landlords own land and want to have colonists be tenant farmers

Family Compact owns most of the land (many angry at them)

Colonists feel betrayed – want to own their own land

2/7 of all land is church or crown reserve Undeveloped and in the way (no roads)

Creates anger – prime land is wasted

Women

What was it like for women in Upper Canada?

Women were married(very few single)

Marriage is essential for status - get social status of husband (no divorce)

Could not own property or work outside the home Widows must rely on Friends/ relatives

Hard work – cooking washing, sewing, preserve food, make candles and soap, and help with planting , harvesting,

Large families – childbirth was dangerous (many die due to unsanitary conditions and no medical care)

Live in small, crowded, unsanitary cabins