How did the initial experience of European immigrants new to 'Canada' change between the years 1700 and 1850 - how did the personal experience of individuals change?

 

 

Answer:

The movement of people from one country to another to resettle was central to Canadian history. The Canadian immigration story is about economic growth, and it has also led to the indigenous people being displaced off their land. Throughout the 18th and 19th century immigrants from Europe filled agricultural lands in Canada. The great Irish potato famine also sent immigrants to Canada, and their presence started social and economic changes. The Irish people worked in canal systems, the lumber industry, and the railway network. With low death rates and high birth rates experienced in the British Isles, overpopulation became a problem, and the issues were further compounded by increasing demand for farmable land. The Prairie Provinces were opened for people to settle, but first nation's people were displaced out of their lands. The migrants were from diverse origins in Canada, and they were allowed into Canada to provide cheap labor and artisans for the construction industry and factories. Some worked in railway, mining, and lumbering. 

The different cultures of the migrants caused there to be racial hostility from the Canadian people. Restrictive controls were instituted in place to stop immigration on racial lines. There were measures placed on the Chinese such as head tax, landing tax, and travel restrictions which prohibited them from getting to Canada. The limits and racial hostility changed experience of immigrants to Canada from that of having a future to that of facing discrimination. Irish migrants also brought cholera with them, and it spread rapidly across Canada, causing many to die. Cholera was followed by mumps, measles, and other diseases, which claimed aboriginal communities.

Congress library. (n.d.). Immigration to the United States, 1851-1900. https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-source-timeline/rise-of-industrial-america-1876-1900/immigration-to-united-states-1851-1900/