The American Revolution or Canadian Evolution

1
The American Revolution or Canadian Evolution
2

• The American revolution created two new
  countries.
• Created the new country of the United States
• And created the future nation of Canada.

3
Treaty of Paris

• The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1783, formally
  ended the Wars between New France and Britain.
• The lands of New France were transferred to
  Britain.
• Britain would not influence the French peoples
  way of life
• They kept their religion and Language.

4
American Revolution

• Peace for the British empire would be short lived
• 13 of its North American Colonies would revolt.
• This would be the beginning of the War of
  independence.

5

• The Americans believed that they would find
  allies in Quebec, Nova Scotia and some of the
  First Nations tribes.
• They remained Neutral.
• The French did not see anything to gain from
  revolting.
• They enjoyed their life under British rule since
  it was not harsh.

6

• In 1774, George Washington also denounced French
  culture and the Roman Catholic religion.
• The French did not see the point of risking what
  they had for the unknown.

7

• The Aboriginals did not side with either
  exclusively.
• The usually sided with whichever side guaranteed
  their sovereignty.
• Joseph Brant was a Mohawk chief that allied with
  the British.

8
The Aftermath of the Revolution

• On July 4th, 1776, the declaration of
  independence unilaterally created the United
  States of America.
• After years of fighting, with the help of the
  French, finally defeated Britain in 1781.
• This forced the British to give up control.

9
United Empire Loyalist

• The United Empire Loyalists resisted the rebels
  and fought along side of the British.
• The Loyalists were persecuted for their stand,
  and their property and possessions were stolen
  from them.
• Thousands of Loyalists left the U.S to resettle
  in territories still controlled by Britain.

10

• 50,000 loyalists from all backgrounds came to
  British North America.
• 34000 arrived in the colony of Nova Scotia.
• The most prosperous Loyalist settlement was
  located along the banks of the St. John river and
  the Fundy Shore.
• This saw the formation of places names
  Fredericton, St. Andrew, and Saint John.

11

• The Loyalist also included people of African
  descent.
• They were promised freedom in exchange for
  abandoning their masters and fighting for the
  British.
• Over 3000 black Loyalists moved to Nova Scotia.

12

• They soon realized that freedom did not bring
  equality.
• They were given the worst land to farm and were
  constant targets of violence.
• It was so bad that 1200 left to go to the colony
  of Sierra Leone, Africa to work for the Sierra
  Leone company.

13

• 10000 Loyalists also went to Quebec, where they
  were given free land grants.
• While they only totaled 10 percent of the
  population, they created huge changes.
• They created a huge British influence on a French
  society.

14

• The British brought with them their English
  culture. They also brought the protestant
  religion and set up the Anglican Church.
• They major change occurred with the
  Constitutional act of 1791 which split Quebec
  into upper Canada(Ontario) and Lower
  Canada(Quebec).

15
More First Nations Abuse

• Much of the land given to the Loyalists around
  lake Ontario had been occupied for centuries by
  First Nations.
• The First Nations agreed to share the land.
• The Loyalist believed they had the right to the
  land and continued with their traditional sense
  of land ownership and settled it at will.

16
Black Loyalist

• During the Revolution Britain offered Black
  slaves freedom if they sided with them.
• America at the time still supported slavery
• With the American vistory also came revenge.
• Anyone allied with the British were exiled and
  forced to leave the country.

17

• Black Slaves were forced with the choice of
  returning to the life of slavery or run to the
  British controlled Canada and have freedom, as
  well as the promise of free land.
• If they returned to their Masters they would
  surely be treated worse than before the war.

18
Black Loyalist

• Many Loyalists would travel to Nova Scotia and
  settle in towns such as Preston and Shelburne.
• However, when they arrived they would quickly
  find out that the land they were promised was
  small and ill suited to farming.

19
Black Loyalists

• The land was so bad they had to become indentured
  servants or tenant farmers.
• This meant they had to work another persons land
  for a wage.
• Sometimes they lived on the farm and were
  basically slaves once again.
• After a few years, 1200 left for Sierra Leone.

20
Territories

• The American Revolution ended with another Treaty
  of Paris which created the sovereign nation of
  the United States.
• In order to keep peace, the British gave up some
  of their Canadian Land.
• The Boundary in the East was set at the St. Croix
  River.

21

• St. Croix River, New Brunswick, Currents of
  History, Designated 1991. Site visited Dec 6th
  2006

22

• Fishing along the Grand Banks of Newfoundland was
  allowed ot continue.
• All areas south of the great lakes were also
  given up.
• This angered many French and Aboriginal peoples
  as it gave up their land.

23
(No Transcript)