Empire, Settlement and Diversity : Empire, Settlement and Diversity Examining Atlantic Canada’s Early Stages
The Big Picture : The Big Picture Early colonial expeditions made by both France and English met varying degrees of success
Ultimately Samuel De Champlain’s settlement survives at Port Royal demonstrating that Europeans can succeed in this region
Key Groups of Settlers : Key Groups of Settlers In Atlantic Canada, some very important groups would follow suit in settling in the region; some responsible for building communities were:
Mi’kmaq (Canada’s Earliest Settlers)
Scots
Acadian
Irish
Understanding their Significance : Understanding their Significance These groups are diverse in a number of areas that influence their historical development in the group sense, and of their communities.
Some areas in which they differ include: religion, politics, cultural tendencies (economics, practices, traditions, etc).
The Primary Focus : The Primary Focus
Our intent is to consider these groups and attempt to answer a question applicable to the various groups
Central Question : Central Question
To what extent can it be determined that these groups have been successful in their efforts to settle and develop the Atlantic Region?
Let’s take a look and try to determine the answer!
The first People : The first People It is believed by scientists that Aboriginals first lived in Canada anywhere from 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. However, some Aboriginal tribes believe that life on Earth began with their creation in North America, and entirely reject the notion they immigrated here at all.
One of the oldest accepted prehistoric sites in Nova Scotia was discovered in Debert and dates back 10,600 years. The site was not found uncovered until the 1960’s
Seven other prehistoric sites have been identified in the Maritimes: at Dartmouth, Yarmouth and Amherst Shore in Nova Scotia; Quaco Head, Kingsclear and Hogan-Mullin in New Brunswick and at Souris in Prince Edward Island.
Mi'kmaqs believe their ancestors had to have been here at least that early in order to develop the complex system of social rules already in place when the first whites arrived.
Until the 1960’s this history had been largely ignored
Pre-contact : Pre-contact When the European arrived they found a rich and vibrant culture
The educational system was the link to survival. Skills and knowledge of the natural surroundings and how to harness the rich resources were passed down from generation to generation
The economic system was co-operative in everything from the quest and distribution of food and trading goods to the consumption of wealth.
The political system was democratic and community based. The Mi'kmaq system consisted of seven autonomous districts. Each of the districts was made up of several small villages; each village had a chief, who was chosen for his ability and knowledge of the territory.
Oral treaties were common and councils were regularly held between the communities
The fall…………. : The fall…………. As Europeans began to grow in numbers and establish institutions
As this way of learning was eroded much of the knowledge was lost. When the aboriginals began to loss control of their education, they began to lose much more then traditional hunting methods. It caused children to lose the knowledge of their ancestors which is critical to all peoples
Education would later become a weapon against them in the residential school system
Due to the communal nature of society, poverty was virtually unknown.
Contact with Europeans would certainly change this
European were well aware of poverty and inequality. It was these very social ills that led them to the “new world” in search of wealth to fuel their empires
In exchange for their the natives knowledge and resources the Europeans gave them the social and biological diseases of their world.
Although their were disputes between certain tribes through out history, their past was far more peaceful then that of the Europeans.
The Natives would soon find themselves embroiled in century old European conflicts between the French and English.
Treaties & decline : Treaties & decline Aboriginals had treaties with each other long before European fur traders or settlers arrived in the maritimes. Aboriginal nations would use oral treaties to settle land disputes and end other conflicts, including war. Trade and marriage arrangements were commonly made between tribes as well.
When the Europeans arrived, they brought with them their own methods, especially the written treaty. These treaties have proved to be devastating for the aboriginal peoples, and exemplifies the how unfairly natives had been treated.
Although the treaty is now being celebrated as an example of the cooperation between the two sides, we should not view these as agreements signed between two parties of on equal footing. They were often under false pretences or misunderstandings.
This is obvious by the outcome of the agreements and the effects on the people
These treaties remain as a reminder the injustices
TREATIES : TREATIES TREATY TIMELINE;
Treaty of 1699 at Mare's Point
1713 Treaty of Portsmouth signed with the St. John River Maliseet, Mi'kmaw and Abenaki Nations
1713 August: the Maliseet and the Chignecto Mi'kmaq come to Halifax to renew the Dummer's Treaty and Mascarene's Articles.
1748The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle returns Cape Breton Island to France. The French end their support for the Mi'kmaq.
September 29: Treaty of 1749 (Dummer's Treaty and Mascarene's Articles)
1799 The final treaty between the Mi'kmaq and the British is signed. The Mi'kmaq cease to be a military threat
1801The Nova Scotia government creates ten Mi'kmaq Reserves
1859 An Act is passed which allows squatters to buy the land on which they are trespassing, allowing settlers to obtain land set aside for the Mi'kmaq
1867 The Dominion of Canada is established. At confederation the control of Native issues is given to the Federal Government
1868 The Indian Act is created.
Treaty disputes are ongoing and the two sides seem far from a resolution.
A forgotten people : A forgotten people Beothuk kept to themselves and avoided contact with Europeans, so very little is known about them Traditional enemies were the mi’kmaq and Labrador Eskimo
They were semi-nomadic hunter/gatherers organized into small independent bands of extended families. Before the arrival of the Europeans, most Beothuk bands moved seasonally between the coast during summer and interior in the winter, but several groups are known to have remained at coastal villages year-around and sent hunting parties a short distance inland during the colder months
People have lived in Newfoundland for at least 9,000 years, but it is unlikely the first residents were Beothuk
After 600 A.D. there were only Beothuk living in Newfoundland. Towards the end of the 10th century, the Vikings (Norse) reached North America and established one of their settlements at L'Anse aux Meadows at Epaves Bay
The next known contact between Beothuk and Europeans came 500 years later with the voyage of Giovanni Cabato
Other than than the brief mention of English encounters with the Beothuk in 1612, there was almost no mention of the Beothuk during the next 150 years. Actually, this is not really surprising there was very little European settlement in Newfoundland during this time. Fighting between the French and British, coupled with restrictive settlement policies of the British government, served to keep this to a minimum
The worst enemy of the Beothuk was starvation. By 1768 they were fewer than 400 and mostly confined to the Exploits River Valley on the north side of Newfoundland. The Beothuk pattern of avoiding contact and theft continued. In reaction, many British settlers began shooting Beothuk on sight like they were some kind of wolf or other dangerous predator. There was no actual warfare, but several punitive expeditions were made into the interior to punish thefts.
During 1810 the British government issued an official proclamation of protection for the Beothuk and began attempts to make contact with them. After centuries of distrust, mistreatment and violence
A careful search of Newfoundland during 1827 was unable to locate a single Beothuk, but it is likely the last remnants crossed over to the mainland in Labrador and were absorbed by the Montagnais or Naskapi. Otherwise the Beothuk are extinct. The last known Beothuk, Nancy Shanawhdit, died of tuberculosis in 1829.
This tragic relationship shows how devastating contact with European culture could be for natives
Poems by Rita Joe : Poems by Rita Joe
Our home is this country Across the windswept hills With snow on fields. The cold air.
I like to think of our native life, Curious, free; And look at the stars Sending icy messages. My eyes see the cold face of the moon Cast his net over the bay.
It seems We are like the moon -- Born, Grow slowly, Then fade away, to reappear again In a never-ending cycle.
Our lives go on Until we are old and wise. Then end. We are no more, Except we leave A heritage that never dies.
Slide14 : http://www.native-languages.org/passamaquoddy.htm
http://www.canadiana.org/citm/themes/pioneers/pioneers4_e.html
http://www.factsandopinions.com/Explore/EA15CD5E-5557-44BA-B5D2-067779531073.html
http://www.civilization.ca/orch/www04o_e.html#migrat
http://www.tusket.com/mikmaq.htm http://www.cqsb.qc.ca/svs/434/fnmk.htm
http://www.indigenouspeople.net/addition.htm
The Mi’kmaq of Atlantic Canada : The Mi’kmaq of Atlantic Canada Located in the Canadian Maritimes including Nova Scotia, the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec, Prince Edward Island, and the eastern half of New Brunswick. Beginning around1630 a Micmac band also occupied southwestern Newfoundland.
Slide16 : Atlantic Canada is home today to over 50 000 people of aboriginal descent.
These First Nations are:
-the Mi'kmaq of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland -the Maliseet of western New Brunswick and closely related Passamaquoddy of southern New Brunswick and eastern Maine; -the Montagnais/Naskapi or Innu of southeast Quebec and southern Labrador.
Who were they? : Who were they? Mi'kmaq is the name of both an Algonquian language and a native group which lived along the Atlantic coast. Before the Europeans came, the Micmac group occupied all of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, northern and eastern New Brunswick, the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, and the island of Newfoundland. Their economy was based on hunting and fishing, activities which shifted with the seasons. In the fall and winter, they would hunt such animals as moose and caribou, while in the spring and summer, they would fish for cod, trout, and salmon. They also collected lobsters and shellfish and used harpoons to kill sea animals.
For travel by water, they used lightweight canoes made out of birch bark. For travel over land, they used snowshoes, sleds, and toboggans.
The Micmac were the first people to be affected by European activities in the New World. They were especially hard hit by European diseases
Slide18 : Native peoples in the Maritimes faced many difficulties during the end of the 1700s and the early 1800s. Increasing settlement, and the arrival of thousands of Loyalists after the American Revolution, changed the lives of First Nations in the Maritimes as much as in Upper Canada.
In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet First Nations had to face large numbers of settlers. Over 30,000 Loyalists settled in these two colonies after the American Revolution.
As in Upper Canada, these new arrivals wanted land to farm on. Unlike Upper Canada, most Atlantic Canada treaties had to do with peace and friendship, not land. The only land treaty signed in the Maritimes was the 1794 Miramichi Mi'kmaq Treaty. British officials believed they had conquered the land from both the Acadian and their Native allies during the War of Spanish Succession. Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people therefore could not claim ownership of their hunting grounds and the many locations along the coast where they had fished.
Slide19 :
The Mi'kmaq and Maliseet Nations of the Maritimes continued to be dispossessed of their land through the nineteenth century. At the heart of the problem was the way settlers and colonial governments perceived First Nations. In many ways it was similar to what occurred in Upper Canada and other parts of the country as settlers arrived.
First Nations were seen as a barrier to settlement and progress. In the east coast colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) the First Nations were put onto reserves as land was given to settlers. Once there, however, they did not receive any support from the government to help teach them how to farm. When they asked the government for help so they could continue to support themselves their requests were ignored.
Eventually in 1841 a Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq chief, Pemmeenauweet, wrote a letter to Queen Victoria. In this letter he outlined how his people had lost their land, and were now starving. He asked the Queen to help him. While this letter led to the creation of the Nova Scotia Indian Act and an Indian Commissioner to help Native peoples very little was actually done.
Nova Scotia politicians believed that the Mi'kmaq were simply lazy despite all the evidence that the problem was a loss of land and resources. Many politicians thought that if the Mi'kmaq would simply start farming their problems would be solved. The Mi'kmaq said they would like to farm, but had no money or supplies to start. Nova Scotia, however, offered almost no assistance despite all of the money the government made from the sale of Mi'kmaq land.
Slide20 : Alliance with the French
The Mi’kmaq steadfastly allied themselves with the French throughout the early periods of Canadian history. There are a number of reasons for this alliance. The French were there longer than any of the other group and for the first century of European settlement there were no other settled white men in Mi’kmaq territory. Further, the Mi’kmaq related to the French much better than they did to the British. Part of the reason was what the Indians knew of the English, they learned from the French
The French temperament was much better suited to that of the Mi’kmaq. The French met their native friends on their level and learned the way of the woods, feasted, traded and established meaningful relationships with them. They built their homes near the bay rather than clearing forest lands and disturbing Mi’kmaq lifestyle. In time, they enjoyed a common religious bond and, of course, they intermarried. In the 100 years the French were in Acadia not one single treaty, between themselves and the Mi’kmaq, was required to maintain peace.
Religion : Religion Mi’kmaq primitive religion is obscure. Their history suggests that they lived according to specific laws bestowed on them by a higher power - a creator who deserved reverence and controlled their destiny.
The Mi’kmaq called their Creator the “Great Spirit” whose laws governed their relationship with land, animals and mankind. Nature, as God, was their provider and sustenance of life and respect was the basic element of their spirituality. Their beliefs also included a number of invisible spirits, some good and some bad.
Did the Mi’kmaq achieve what they set out to do? : Did the Mi’kmaq achieve what they set out to do? Unfortunately for the Mi’kmaq, they did not get any help from the governments in Atlantic Canada when they wanted to work and support themselves.
Some at that time argued that the government did not have to help the Mi'kmaq. However, these same governments provided cheap land to White settlers and offered them help to start farming. The same help was never offered to the Mi'kmaq the original people of the Maritimes.
Governments also made money by selling Mi'kmaq land to White settlers. This money was never given back to the Mi'kmaq to help them.
The government did not understand how different Mi'kmaq culture was from British culture. Helping the Mi'kmaq to farm was going to take a long time, but the government did not have any patience. They wanted change to happen quickly and cheaply.
References : References www.odowa.org
www.histori.ca
www.mrc.uccb.ns.ca/timeline.html
www.collectionscanada.ca
www.heritage.nf.ca
www.native-languages.org
Acadian Settlers : Acadian Settlers The first arrival of Acadians begins in the 1630s, with immigrants from France settling in the Maritimes, then an area claimed by France. These settlers created prosperous farming settlements by dyking fertile tidal marshlands around the Bay of Fundy (Port Royal, or Annapolis Royal).
Formed alliances with the two major aboriginal groups at the time: the Mi’qmaks and the Maliseet (Chiasson & Landry, 1999).
In 1621, the English government decided to change the name where Acadians settled to Nova Scotia and afterwards, more and more Scottish were moving to the area.
Slide25 : Acadians came to be very self-reliant and hard working individuals after their settlement in Atlantic Canada. They were well knowledged and highly skilled when it came to agriculture and farming, and hunting and fishing (even had commercial ties with the English colonists in America).
Mi’qmaks aided the Acadians a great deal with survival and everyday life, and all of the aboriginal groups had a major influence on the Acadian settlers.
Slide26 : The fate of the Acadians, however, was questioned when France and England could not agree on the boundaries of Acadia through the Treaty of Utrecht. The Acadians became British subjects, who claimed New Brunswick, Maine and the Gaspe region, while the only French territories that remained were Cape Bretona and Prince Edward Island.
The terms of the Treaty of Utrecht aimed for the departure of the Acadians.
England soon demanded Acadians an oath of unconditional loyalty, but they only agreed to neutrality.
‘Le Grand Derangement..’ : ‘Le Grand Derangement..’ England took steps to bring its people into the colony (coming from England and German territories that had British connections).
British authorities gave Acadians a choice: pledge an unconditional oath of allegiance, or risk being deported.
The Acadians initially refused, but when later decided to accept, it was too late. Governer Charles Lawrence was not satisfied with their response, and executed plans for deportation.
Deportation lasted from 1755-1762 (during the Seven Years War).
Settlers put into ships and transported to English colonies along eastern seaboard, to Maine, Massachusetts, all the way to Georgia. Some were able to avoid deportation by hiding in the woods and hiding from authorities.
Estimated that three quarters of Acadians were deported, while their farms and businesses were left to burn.
Slide28 : After the deportation, the Maritimes became home to the English when the New England Planters settled on lands once inhabited by the Acadians.
Acadians had to begin a long process of resettling in the Atlantic provinces (England decided to let them return after agreed to take the contentious oath of allegiance). The numbers of Acadians who returned were limited. Most headed to Cape Breton (Ile Madame), the southwest of Nova Scotia, and to eastern parts of New Brunswick.
Had no civil and political rights because of Catholic beliefs.
Not allowed to vote, nor legally own land from 1758-1763 (finally gained right to vote in 1789).
Had very basic goals and based their lives mainly on survival and a lifestyle of subsistence.
Had no institutions of their own (church was the only French institution in all of the Maritimes).
Few francophone schools and teachers (just those who spread their knowledge from village to village).
Return to Acadia
Culture : Culture At the start of the 19th century, there were 4000 acadians living in Nova Scotia, 700 in PEI, and 3800 in New Brunswick. (Chiasson & Landry, 1999).
Today, Acadians are working hard to maintain their culture and many groups, institutions and associations are coming together to reach these goals. Action toward provincial and federal governments have ensured that Acadian youth have a bright future and that linguistic rights were maintained through education (Acadian community now manages its own schools through a separate school board, ‘Conseil scolaire acadien provinciale).
Own university and college (Universite Sainte-Anne, Universite de Monton, College de L’Acadie).
Acadians world-wide are trying to piece together their history and culture through geneology.
They are trying to maintain their important language and vibrant culture in a bilingual setting, which can be a struggle.
Facts : Facts The French Language - Francophones only make up 4 percent of the population of Nova Scotia, while the rest is quite homogenous with respect to the English language.
Acadian population is highly concentrated and Acadians are the majority in some municipalities.
Main economic activity of Acadians is still fishing.
More than 44 percent of Nova Scotia’s Acadians have not completed high school, compared to 39 percent of the rest of the population (figures reflect the age distribution of Acadians).
Number of people who can speak french has increased to 85, 355 from 64,230 in 1981.
Median age for Acadians is 46 years. The proportion of younger people in the Acadian community is quite low.
References : References Chiasson, Pere A., Landry, N. (1999). Acadia, History Of. Canadian Encyclopedia: year 2000 edition. Retrieved September 28, 2007, from Historica: The Canadian Encyclopedia Online database.
http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC832578
http://franco.ca/atlas/francophonie/english/impre.cfm?Id=11
http://www.fcfa.ca/media_uploads/pdf/95.pdf
http://www.umaine.edu/canam/k-12outreach/acadia/culturefocus.htm
Scottish Immigration : Scottish Immigration
A Choille Ghruamach (The Gloomy Forest) : A Choille Ghruamach (The Gloomy Forest) It was composed by John MacLean.
It was composed in order to inform potential immigrants that Nova Scotia was not the land of prosperity promised to them.
“MacLean complains of the dense forest, cold winters, numerous and threatening wild animals and the loss of his Gaelic poetic ability.”
Fortunately, MacLean and most of the other immigrants over time grew accustomed to their new found homes and changed the tune of their songs after they got used to the cold temperatures and forest filled lands.
http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/CB/1-04.htm
Why Did They Come Here? : Why Did They Come Here? Before 1800, highland immigrants were driven away by economic, social and demographic dislocation due to the increasing land costs and the developing notion that only large farms were useful.
By the 19th Century Canada saw the amount of money that could be made in agriculture if they were to get people to immigrate to Canada, so they started sending agents over to convince the Scot’s [among other places] to move here for work.
The Scot’s were highly receptive to assurances that, in Canada, they could purchase a good farm for the equivalent of a year's rent where they currently were living.
Immigration : Immigration The first attempts to entice Scottish settlers to Canada began as early as 1622, when Sir William Alexander obtained permission from King James to establish New Scotland.
Unfortunately, his colonization efforts failed, and only a small number of Scottish families settled in Canada prior to the conquest of New France in 1759.
In 1772 a wave of Scottish immigrants began to arrive in Prince Edward Island and one year later in Pictou, Nova Scotia.
At the end of the 18th century Cape Breton Island became a centre of Scottish settlement where only Gaelic was spoken.
In 1815 the economic depression in Europe caused many Scots to leave their homeland. Some settled in Lower Canada, while others went to Upper Canada to discourage further American settlement in the area. By the 1820s both Lowland and Highland Scot’s were arriving in Canada in large numbers.
The 20th century also witnessed high levels of Scottish immigration, which peaked between 1910-1911 when over 62,000 Scots arrived in Canada. By 1931, the Scottish population was 1,346,350 and today there are upwards of 4 million Canadians who claim Scottish heritage.
Religion/School/Culture : Religion/School/Culture For highlanders, the Gaelic language was the most obvious symbol of their heritage, but immigrants from all over Scotland reproduced the place names, architecture, and institutions of their former life.
Until the end of the nineteenth century, founding or joining a Scottish church was probably the major mechanism through which immigrants transferred their identity to Canada.
Immigrant clergymen often doubled as schoolmasters.
By 1911, Scots seemed to be losing their identity, which was perhaps most noticeable in Gaelic-speaking communities, where the linguistic boundary was breached by a perception that English was the language of progress.
Although Canadian societies long history of Scottish settlement, allowed the Scots, like other immigrant groups, to retain and promote their ethnicity with greater confidence, than in the melting-pot culture of the United States.
In Canada, Scots helped to found Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Toronto, Queen's University, St. Francis Xavier and the University of New Brunswick.
Scottish Population In Canada : Scottish Population In Canada
Did they accomplish their goal? : Did they accomplish their goal?
Their main goal was to find a place that gave them equal opportunities in agriculture that reflected their drive and work ethic so that they could attain their rightful prominence in society.
I think they did a great job of this with a constant influx of Scottish people into all areas of Canada utilizing the land to the fullest during the age of agriculture and managing to adapt when the industrial age came around.
Some notable Scot’s in Canada that accomplished their goal are Politicians John A. Macdonald, Alexander Mackenzie and Thomas Douglas and the creator of Basketball James Naismith.
References : References http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Heritage/FSCNS/Scots_NS/About_Clans/HtySctNS.html
http://www.abheritage.ca/albertans/people/scottish.html
http://www.history.ac.uk/ihr/Focus/Migration/articles/harper.html
http://www.mun.ca/folklore/leach/songs/CB/1-04.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish-Canadian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_2001_Census
The Irish in Atlantic Canada : The Irish in Atlantic Canada The presence of the Irish in Atlantic Canada is sometimes overlooked when we examine the history of the area although there have been instances of Irish immigration to Newfoundland, in particular, as early as 1675. Traditionally, young Irish men would work for English merchants in Newfoundland for a short period of time and then return to their homeland. (Irish pub)
It was in the early18th century smaller groups of Irishmen started to settle in the Atlantic Provinces. It’s been estimated that roughly 35 000 Irishmen landed in Newfoundland and from there smaller groups moved on to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick (Houston & Smyth).
Slide41 : During the time of the Irish potato famine (which hit Ireland in 1845), there was a dramatic increase in the numbers of Irish immigrants in the Atlantic Provinces. The amount of immigrants from Ireland was so high in 1847 that this is the year that is considered to be the “year that the Irish came” (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
Many of the Irish settled in New Brunswick. Others were noted to have settled in Nova Scotia (particularly Halifax as well as Pictou and areas of Cape Breton such as Sydney and Isle Madame). More would settle in PEI and Newfoundland because of their familiarity with Newfoundland’s fishing industry and PEI’s potato farming (Irish Pub).
Economy in Irish Canada : Economy in Irish Canada During the pre-famine period, most Irishmen left Ireland because of the shortage of land and unemployment. The high wages in the fishing industry of the Atlantic Provinces was very attractive to young Irish men (the Irish in Newfoundland).
A large number pre-famine Irish immigrants chose to stay in ports such as Halifax and Saint John and work as labourers instead of becoming fishermen or farmers. The Irish who came to Canada to escape the Great Potato Famine as well as the post-famine immigrants helped to drive the Canadian economy by serving as cheap labour (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
The landed Irish were relatively poor and although coming to Canada did better their economic situation, few had enough money to travel across Canada. So as a result, a lot of the immigrants settled in the Atlantic Provinces (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
Irish Canadian Culture : Irish Canadian Culture After the Great Irish Famine, The Atlantic Provinces had a significant Irish population. In Saint John, New Brunswick alone, 30 000 arrived between 1845 and 1854 (Irish Pub). These immigrants brought with them their Irish traditions.
Newfoundland in particular was influenced a great deal by the arrival of the Irish. Almost all the landed Irish in Newfoundland were Catholic and they brought with them their own agricultural techniques. With the exposure to the already existing culture of the English in Newfoundland, and their own Irish culture, they created a unique culture of their own: Newfoundlanders (The Irish in Newfoundland).
There are still Irish “districts” that exist in Atlantic Canada, although most were established in the pre-famine period. Irish immigrants who arrived during the famine were met with resentment and sometimes hostility. As a result, many continued on after some time to American locations such as New York and Boston. Saint John is noted as one of the only famine settlements (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
The religion of the Irish in Canada : The religion of the Irish in Canada The Irish practice two different religions: One group of Irish practice the Catholic religion, while others are Protestant. The two groups have historically experienced tension between each other, but after their arrival to the Atlantic Provinces, there was animosity created between the two groups. New Brunswick’s population of Irish immigrants was, for the most part, Catholic. These settlers were allowed to freely practice their religion. Nova Scotia, on the other hand, legally prohibited the practice of the Catholic religion (Irish pub). The inequality the Irish Catholics experienced in Ireland had followed them to Nova Scotia.
The Irish Catholics, already being disadvantaged in Ireland, found it difficult to integrate into Canadian society. The Catholic Church would be what helped them to establish themselves securely (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
The Irish Protestants, on the other hand, were the more advantaged group in Ireland and had more money than their Irish Catholic countrymen. Their religion made them more acceptable in the dominant Canadian society as well. As a result the Irish Protestants were able to re-establish themselves as agricultural and cattle farmers more easily. Despite this, the term Irish has a more Catholic connotation (The Canadian Encyclopedia).
Bibliography : Bibliography Houston & Smyth, "Irish Emigrants to Canada: Whence They Came." The Untold Story: The Irish in Canda. 25 sept 2007 .
"Irish Canadian History." Irish Pub. 25 sept 2007 .
Mannion, John. "The Irish in Newfoundland." Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. 25 sept 2007 .
Toner, Peter. "Irish." The Canadian Encylopedia. Historica. 1 Oct 2007 .
Conclusion - Did they accomplish their goal of settlement? : Conclusion - Did they accomplish their goal of settlement? While a broad and difficult question to address – particularly with respect to such varied groups of settlers – the lasting imprints each group has left on the Atlantic region cannot be denied; and despite a modern tendency to come up short as a result of economic decline, these settler groups gave today’s generations the base upon which the foundation to improve can be built.