UNIT REFLECTION: BUILDING A NATION

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY:

1. Why did so many people immigrate to British North America?

The immigrated to BNA because they had been promised with different things.

2. Does immigration have a positive or negative impact on Canada today?

Its positive and negative. Positive because the population goes up and can cause the
economy to go up as well. Negative because there are fewer jobs available for people and
they wont make a living because they dont have a job.

3. Explain the contrast between expectations and reality of people immigrating to Canada. Make sure
to include the different results for people originating in different places (ex. Great Britain vs.
Ireland).

People expect that theyll get most of what they wanted, and they could have a better life,
when in actuality, there wasnt much change. They soon found out that it was quite costly
and that they would be leaving family behind. The trip was long and the poor would have
to endure a harsh journey. Britain was quite overpopulated and that provided Canada with
more British people to immigrate. Poor farmers that came from Ireland had a chance to
own land but there were few that could afford the above-deck cabins.

4. What created the need for government reform in Upper and Lower Canada?

1. There was discrimination against the French peoples.

2. The government wasnt being representative.
3. The taxes had problems.
5. Is our current government representative and responsible? Explain.
Yes because the government pays more attention to the people and what they want rather
than what the government wants. The government is also caring about the things they
need rather than wants.

6. What were the consequences of the Rebellions of 1837?

The British government had to take action and so they had sent Lord Durham to be the
Governor-in-Chief of the entire British North American colonies. He was to report troubles
and suggest reforms. He had eventually made The Durham Report that had suggested
merging Upper and Lower Canada into one, which it did happen in the future.

7. What economic and political situations led to the idea of Confederation?

There was war and expansionism in the States. There was an organization called the
Fenians, and they were hostile towards Britain. There were troubles with trade for the
colonies. This lead to the need for rail links to trade among themselves.

8. Explain the British North America Act in terms of the divisions of powers between the federal and
provincial governments, and describe the three branches of federal government.

The provincial government had power over things that were usually located inside of the
province they were in charge of, while federal government had power over the more
serious things that were located everywhere in the country. The three branches of federal
government are different categories. Two of the branches are short while one of them has
more things in it, such as the Prime Minister.