Climate at the Turn of the 20th Century Culture and Politics

Culture Most people lived on farms or in small towns The minority of middle class people set the standards for morals and manners Victorian period Right, wrong and evil were clear for morals- no debate Families took care of themselves without the government Families had to attend church regularly

Women’s Movement Women were not considered people under the law unless they committed a crime- BNA Act of 1867 Had few rights over property and their children. Divorce was rare. Woman’s salary was considered to be her husband’s money Suffragettes fought to get women the right to vote Nelly McClung- died in Victoria

Canada is still a British Nation Canada had it’s own government but were not independent from Britain Prime Minister was Wilfred Laurier Britain dealt with all the international disputes and often not in the best interests of Canada Sun doesn’t set on the British Empire

Alaska Boundary Dispute, 1903 During the gold rush Canada and the US disagreed as to where the boundaries were between BC and Alaska (Alaska Panhandle) Canada and the US decided to let the officials vote on it- 3 US judges, 2 Canadian and 1 British British voted on the side of the Americans Canada lost the Panhandle

Significance Canada realized that they needed to have control over their own foreign affairs Didn’t happen until 1931 with the Statute of Westminster

French Canada French didn’t want to be part of the British Empire Considered themselves to be Canadien rather than British subjects Supported independence from Britain- nationalists Ideas started about French separating from Canada Believed that their rights wouldn’t be protected

Creation of Alberta and Saskatchewan Created in 1905 Catch was that they were not given control of their resources- cash payments instead Growing population in the region due to immigration Immigrants weren’t used to a democratic system so this solved the problem

Immigration Immigrants- people come to a country Emigrants- people leave a country Pull factors- things that made people want to move to Canada Push factors- Things that made people want to move from their home country Clifford Sifton- Open door policy for the west

Why Canada? Lots of natural resources- pulp and paper exports, fishing and the Klondike Gold Rush Opening of the West- ads all over the world to farm in Canada for cheap National Policy- Created in the 1870s by John A. MacDonald- protected industries by imposing tariffs on cheaper imported goods. The opposite of free trade. Canadian Pacific Railway- linked the East and the West and new towns developed along the railways

Discrimination Many different ethnic groups and cultures were living in Canada however, many were discriminated against Especially anyone who was East Indian, Black or Asian Ex. From the US, Canada only accepted white farmers. No actual law but there were careful procedures

Chinese Immigration Chinese were originally brought in for the gold rush then were recruited to build the Canadian Pacific Railway When the railway was completed the Canadian government passed a bill for a Head tax that kept increasing. Gov collected $23 million Chinese people couldn’t bring their families over 1923- Chinese Immigration Act- excluded Chinese from entering Canada Victoria has the oldest Chinatown in Canada

Continuous Journey Regulation Immigration Act amended in 1906 Immigrants had to arrive in Canada from the country in which they were natives or citizens of, with a ticket purchased in that country. Catch was that since no shipping company provided direct trips from India to Canada. It indirectly banned Indian immigration.

Komagata Maru 1914, With 400 people on board it anchored in Burrard Inlet in Vancouver Mostly poor East Indians on board lead by Gurdit Singh Sat in the harbour for weeks. Deprived of food and water by Canadian authorities Forced to turn back after two months Locals cheered on the dock as the ship was escorted out

Further Reading Komagata Maru: http://www.vancouverhistory.ca/archives_komagatama ru.htm Chinese Canadian struggle in BC: http://archives.cbc.ca/society/immigration/topics/143 3/

Questions Imagine you could go back to the Canada of 1914. What attitudes would you fine most difficult to deal with? Why? Describe the situation of women in Canada in the years before World War I. Explain why Canadiens did not share any enthusiasm for Canada’s ties to Britain. Do you think their objections were justified? Why?