1. Life in Upper Canada

2. 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

3. 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)

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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