It has been argued that the Intercolonial Railway is one of the many internal forces that provoked the colonies of British North America to commence confederation. Firstly the Intercolonial Railway or initially called the Grand Trunk Railway, is a railway that was planned to link the Maritime Colonies and the Province of Canada in the 1840’s, this railway came into consideration because the exclusive way of transportation was horse riding and boat. This way of traveling was extremely slow and unproductive due to the low-speed levels. During the winter, rivers and lakes were frozen, causing boat transportation impossible and horse riding tremendously difficult. These difficulties made trading between colonies almost impossible, leaving colonies without the materials they require. …show more content…
Therefore the expense of the railway is exceedingly expensive for any colony to afford, granted that the colonies will unite into one, they will be able to pay their expenses of the railway. The fused earnings of all the colonies are plenty enough to pay the debt of the railway, everyone that worked on the railway will get paid their portion. Additionally, during this time period, many soldiers were demanded in various different distances between the colonies. The Fenians were a major threat at the time due to their spontaneous invasions among the colonies, this was a problem since nobody could foretell their next assault. It took several weeks for the soldiers to arrive at their destination, by the time they reached the enemy already finished their mission, during the winter it took months or sometimes was impossible to arrive. Therefore hazardous threats to the colonies won't be discontinued due to the soldier's way of transportation. On the occasion of the colonies merging into one, The Intercolonial Railway will transport soldiers to their destination in rapidly fast speeds. Soldiers can travel within the railway whenever there is a crisis and arrive in 1-8 days depending on the
The beginning of 1763 marked one of the major events that would contribute to the end of British colonial relations. On February 3, 1763 the French and Indian War finally ended in British victory, but while the British celebrated the French’s defeat, colonists feared the oncoming reverberations the war would have on them. The main motive behind the war was for possession over the French fur trade territory in North America. To the colonists, the war was being fought by and for Britain not the colonies. The benefits of the victory only pertained to Britain. The after effect of the war for the colonies was the trampling on their need for expansion. During the war, Native Americans had fought with the French because of how well they treated them. Britain was notorious for abusing the Native Americans, therefore once the French were defeated; they began attacking western settlements of colonists. To avoid confrontation, the Proclamation of 1763 was passed by Parliament. The Proclamation established a limit to the greatly needed colonial expansion. Specifically, the Proclamation forbid settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains. The passing of the Proclamation of 1763 infuriated colonists ...
In Henry George’s article, What the Railroad Will Bring Us, it discusses the main social, political, and economic transformations that the trans-continental railroad would bring to the state of California. More importantly, he discusses not only the benefits, but also discusses the major drawbacks with the arrival of the railroad. Henry George stated the railroad would be the “greatest work of the age” (297). With a railroad stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, multiple benefits would be brought to the state of California. First, the railroad will not only create a new means of transportation across the United States, it additionally would also become “one of the greatest material prosperity” of its time (298). This means more people, more houses,
Instead of taking days to get troops and supplies to a camp or battle it would only take a couple hours. (Railroads and the Civil
Railroads first appeared around the 1830’s, and helped the ideas of Manifest Destiny and Westward expansion; however, these were weak and didn’t connect as far as people needed, thus causing them to be forced to take more dangerous routes. On January 17th, 1848, a proposal was sent to Congress by Asa Whitney to approve and provide federal funding...
In order to have successfully emerged into mercantilism, both colonies had to have been economically self- sufficient, equally balanced within trade, held possession of merchant fleets, and functioned under the control of England 's regulation of trade. Both the Northern and Southern colonies are similar in regards to having attained all of the following characteristics necessary for mercantilism. However the royal English trade and navigation laws towards shipping, buying, selling, and manufacturing ultimately hindered both colonies from fully succeeding financially. Thus, the colonies identically suffered from instability as a result of unfair royal authority. Through parliaments bias passing of the Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and other numerous laws that were merely employed in order to garner money for England, the colonies acknowledged such illogical notions and protested. Thus, the colonists united together against the King of England and his tariffs and sought their independence away from the crown. However, it was only through the success of the American Revolution that both colonies diminished their individual forms of governing, and in turn established a singular democratic society. Initially, the relationship between the colonies was limited and nonexistent. Nevertheless, England’s unfair ‘taxation without representation” fundamentally integrated the colonies and empowered their relationship with each
British Canadians felt that it was best to hire Chinese labourers to work on the continental railways due to working conditions, however, other British Canadians felt that it had been the low wages that Chinese individuals charged that created them enticing alternatives to higher paid non-Asians. Employment on the railways crammed a range of jobs in a rural and concrete environment. In 1885, the Canadian government, after being pressured from Canadian provinces, passed l...
In order for the colonies to do well economically, they needed to be able to sell their goods to other markets. At this time, due to trade barriers between colonies, there were very few places that they could sell to. The Province of Canada was thrown into a period of economic decline. Some Canadians started to think in terms of a continental rather than a colonial trade system. They began to believe that they should manufacture their own products and find markets for these products within the colonies of British North America. By bringing the colonies together, they would be able to sell their goods to each other more easily. People quickly realized that if trade between colonies was now an option, a railway would have to be built to connect the East to the West. It was believed that the building of a railway would open up new settlement opportunities and establish a stronger British presence in the West. The independent colonies began to further consider a future together because of the opportunities a railway would provide. Another major economic challenge pushing the colonies towards Confederation was the end of reciprocity with the United States. British North American colonies and the United States agreed to a Reciprocity Treaty that allowed for free trade on products such as timber, grain, coal, livestock and fish. In the years to
The transcontinental railroad would eventually become a symbol of much-needed unity, repairing the sectionalism that had once divided the nation during the Civil War. The construction of the transcontinental railroad was also an extension of the transportation revolution. Once commodities such as gold were found in the western half of America, many individuals decided to move themselves and their families out west in search of opportunity. Not only did the railroad help to transport people, but it also it allowed for goods to be delivered from companies in the east. In the end, the American transcontinental railroad created a national market, enabling mass production, and stimulated industry, while greatly impacting American society through stimulated immigration and urbanization.
The Transcontinental railroad could be defined as the most monumental change in America in the 19th century. The railroad played a significant role in westward expansion and on the growth and development of the American economy (Gillon p.653). However, the construction of the transcontinental railroad may not have occurred if not for the generous support of the federal government. The federal government provided land grants and financial subsidies to railroad companies to ensure the construction. The transcontinental railroad contributed to the formation of industry and the market economy in America and forever altered the American lifestyle.
Historical events, their development, and their ramifications are often the purview of contrasting opinions. The development of America is on such example of contrasting views. Within Eric Nellis’, an Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia and author of several books on American history, book An Empire of Regions: A Brief History of Colonial British North America and Steven Sarson’s, a senior lecturer at University of Wales, Swansea and a fellow of the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, book British North America 1500-1800 two contrasting views of America’s development. Both explore the same era, and same region but provide contrasting views and different breadths of information. They both centre around the development, and independence of the New World colonies in the period between about 1500 to 1800. Both Nellis, and Sarson present well researched, and articulated, albeit contrasting views on America’s development from part of the British Empire to independence. They have different breadths of information, organizational structures, and influencers resulting in different views and understandings
The steam had forced a piston to shift the wheel and within this movement would be used in industries, including the textile industry. Furthermore, the steam engine had contributed to the initiation of industrialization, as well, because it was a locomotive that would be transporting goods, at the expense of low costs. According to LeCouteur and Burreson, they encounter another sense of exaggeration throughout assurance that, “it was sugar that fueled the slave trade, bringing millions of black Africans to the New World”.3 It is highly noted that sugar was one of the factors that expanded the slave trade; but what about the Columbian Exchange or coffee? If it wasn’t for the Columbian Exchange, the slave trade wouldn’t have extended as much as it did. Among the diseases (smallpox and malaria) the Europeans had implemented on the indentured servants, without having had memory cells to become immune, millions had fallen into the fatality of their fates. Therefore, with the Europeans wanting to continue sugar AND coffee plantations, they had to build an agreement with Africa, in order to export African
In the year of 1867 the nation we know as Canada came into being. The Confederation in this year only came about after things had been overcome. Many political and economic pressures were exerted on the colonies and a federal union of the colonies seemed to be the most practical method of dealing with these pressures and conflicts. While Confederation was a solution to many of the problems, it was not a popular one for all the colonies involved. In the Maritime colonies views differed widely on the topic. Some were doubtful, some were pleased, others were annoyed and many were hopeful for a prosperous future.1
The Confederation act of 1867 without question has had a major influence on the status of contemporary Canada. It has helped shape Canada into one of the worlds most politically and economically powerful countries; a country that is strong, independent, and united. There was a series of events which led to the confederation of Canada, some which are more significant than others. However, I believe that despite the significance of events such as the British encouragement of uniting its North American colonies, the central and key reason for confederation was the fear of potential American (Yankee) inhabitance (whether by persuasion or invasion) of the divided and vast British North American colonies, and the way that the “Fathers of Confederation” were able to take advantage of this situation and persuade reluctant colonies to join Confederation. A strong and united nation could not be easily invaded or bought. These essential factors will be discussed in the paragraphs to come.
Economic concerns of the British caused the colonization of British North America. Such economic concerns included the opportunity to acquire gold, silver, a North American waterway that would lead directly to China and the Indies, and the prospect of countering Spain's dominance in North America (Boorstin et al. 34). In addition to these economic reasons for colonization, the English were also seeking to obtain the essential "raw materials" in America that they had been previously buying from other European countries for exorbitant amounts of money and gold (Boorstin et al. 34). Great Britain also sought to solve other economic problems through American colonization. For example, England needed to replenish some of its diminishing materials and assets, generate another "market" to export its cargo and merchandise, maintain its powerful navy and "merchant marine" through business with new American colonies, and to provide a new place for the unemployed to settle rather than escalating populace/crime and the economic burden in its own cities (Boorstin et al. 34).
The rebellions of Upper and Lower Canada were in the interests of self-government but were doomed to failure from their beginning. Each of these two colonies encountered a great deal of problems right from the institution of the Constitution Act of 1791 and the problems continually got worse until the only choice to some seem to be rebellion. There were several problems that lead to the rebellions of 1837-38. In Lower Canada there was the agricultural crisis that caused a large number of starvations, to the French and English political and social problems within the colony. There were several different reasons that caused the rebellion in Upper Canada but these caused were mainly rooted in the idea of Anti- Americanism that was held within the Family Compact. Both rebellions had valid causes and noble intentions but they lacked the most necessary part for a rebellion to succeed in its intentions, the support of the people. Without support these two rebellions could never succeed.