Upper & Lower Canada, new immigrants, war of 1812

1. Colonies in the Wilderness
Canada in 1825

2. What was Canada?
 Canada was part of British North America which
included 6 colonies:
 Upper Canada (South – East Ontario)
 Lower Canada (Southern Quebec)
 New Brunswick
 Nova Scotia
 Prince Edward Island
 Newfoundland

3. British North America
 Each of these colonies relied on Britain to make
laws, provide defense, become trading partners and
send immigrants to populate the colonies.
 The Hudson’s Bay Company was responsible for
Rupert’s Land near Hudson’s Bay and the North-
Western Territory

4. BNA 1825

5. War of 1812
 Between the British and the Americans. Resulted
from the Napoleanic Wars in Europe between
England and France.
 British tried to stop Americans from shipping goods
to Europe (France).
 Americans retaliate by declaring war on Britain and
attacking Upper Canada, a British colony.
 Thomas Jefferson said “a mere matter of marching”
would ensure the capture of Canada.

6. Canada’s Early Settlers
 Small numbers of people had moved (immigrated)
to Canada from England and France for a few
hundred years, but it was not until the fur trade that
many Europeans began to make Canada their home.
 In the 1800s many people lived in the Maritimes as
there was plenty of work in shipbuilding and
fishing. We had the food and raw materials needed
by Britain.
 After the war of American Independence (1775-
1783), many “Loyalists’ (Americans who wanted to
remain loyal to Britain) moved to Canada to stay
under British rule.

7. Farming and Fur trade
 New immigrants wanted to farm, especially in the
fertile soils of Upper Canada. They were able to
travel easily to Upper Canada because of the
waterways (St. Lawrence River, Great Lakes)
 There were few roads for horse and cart, and no
railways.
 Fur trade was still popular. HBC and its rival, the
Northwest Company merged in 1821.