3.1 Settling In NL Studies 2205

Our Previous Unit…Quick Review We examined the peopling of NL to the early 16th century We examined factors that contributed to the establishment of European migratory fisheries in NL Examined the prosecution & consequences of the migratory fisheries

Our Current Focus In the coming weeks, we will: 1. Examine factors that contributed to the emergence of the resident fishery 2. Examine the prosecution and consequences of the resident fisheries 3. Examine changes in NL’s political status

Questions to Ponder How would you feel if you were asked (or forced) to leave your family & friends to permanently settle in an unknown area? If you were to move today to a new country, what challenges might you face? How would you overcome them?

Why Did a Resident Fishery Emerge?

The Resident Fishery For nearly 300 years the fishery in NL was a seasonal migratory activity conducted by Europeans from late spring to early fall (Migratory Fishery) By 1815, the migratory fishery had all but ended & more permanent settlement patterns had appeared throughout our province The migratory fishery had actually been replaced by the resident fishery

The Resident Fishery The resident fishery was actually closely connected to the emergence of permanent settlement on our island We will now examine some of the factors that contributed to growth of settlement & a resident fishery

1. British Warfare From 1775 to 1815, Britain fought several wars with America and France Revolutionary War, Napoleonic Wars Wars… disrupted shipping Interfered with transport of workers and supplies These wars disrupted shipping & interfered with the transfer or workers & supplies needed for the migratory fishery

1. British Warfare Costs rose for merchants due to these wars They were firced to pay workers more to travel in dangerous times Many didn’t want to travel Merchants began looking to residents to catch the required fish This also lead to merchants moving here to do business in person or through resident agents.

2. Impressment Impressment was forced military conscription of men into the ships of the British Royal Navy. The Royal Navy was the world’s largest & because Britain was constantly at war, the Royal Navy needed a steady supply of men. Men were “pressed” into serve.

Press Gangs

2. Impressment The fishery of NL was supposed to be training grounds for seamen, who, when required were expected to join the RN Because large numbers of able seamen were needed for the navy, this created a labor shortage in the migratory fishery This forced the British fish merchants to pay more for wages & provisions, which decreased their profits More convenient & less risky for merchants who sponsored resident fishers rather than financing Atlantic migrations (by 1790, residents were the main fishers here)

3. Winter & Other Activities Other activities becoming popular Fur trapping, sealing, boat building salmon fishing) Many activities were performed in winter months Provided incentive to stay year round Employment opportunities were poor in both Britain and Ireland and wages were low By 1790s, residents were catching majority of fish in “this place”

Key Words Livyer: Europeans who settled in Labrador Emigration: a type of migration. When you leave one place and move to another. Moravians: Christian missionaries from Moravia (present day Czech Republic) that set us “missions” or churches for the Inuit in Labrador. Hudson Bay Company: Established in 1670, it was the key player in the North American fur trade, doing business with European settlers and the aboriginal peoples.