This drawing shows a group of men marching down Yonge Street, Toronto, in December 1837. What do you think these people might do when they get to where they are going? istorians study how peop le and societies have changed over time. They observe that Hconflict between people and groups occurs frequently, and that conflict is one thing that causes "t Ex eet tions change. In this unit, you will read about various This unit will expl ore the qu estion, types of conflict, ways of dealing with conflict in the How have the Canadas changed since past and in the present, and some changes that the mid-1800s? have resulted from conflict. What You Will Learn in This Unit • How do ch ange, conflict , and conflict resolution help shape history? • Why were the 1837- 1838 re be llions in Upper an d Lower Canada important? • What led to t he political un ion of t he two Ca nadas? • What were the steps to responsible govern ment in t he colonies? • How can I communicate key characteristics of British North America in 18507 RCADING e all encounter conflict from time to time. It may be personal conflict with a family member or a friend. Or Making Connections W it may be a larger conflict in the world that we hear Use rapid writing to write about on the news. Conflict appears to be something we should about a time you had a conflict expect and be able to deal with. or problem with someone. (Do There are five common reactions to conflict. vVhich of the not name names.) I nclude how following styles best describes your reaction to conflict? you reacted to the conflict. Style Details Avoidance You withdraw from the situation and pretend there is no conflict. Accommodation You give in to the other person(s) and do what they want. You might be secretly frustrated and angry, but you try not to let it show. Forcefulness You dig in your heels or get angry and refuse to listen to the other person(s). You hope that the other person(s) will just give up. Compromise You recognize the conflict and quietly try to meet the other person(s) half way. Collaboration You tell the other person(s) that there is a conflict. You invite them work with you to find a solution. H 136 Unit 3: Conflict and Change What You Will Learn in This Chapter Talking about what you read helps you process • What types of confl ict have occ u rred in Canadian history? information. It can also help you get ideas for writing. • How can conflict between groups of people be successfully resolved? By the end of this chapter, you should be able to role-playa conflict from this time period. You • How has conflict brought about change may change the way a conflict ended by using a in history? different style of confl ict resol ution than was used in history. The reading purpose in this chapter is to explore how conflicts in Canada in the 1830s and 1840s were resolved. Some people feel that an the news in the newspaper or on TV is bad. "There's never any good news." Have you ever heard anyone say this? Much of the bad news deals with conflict. It's been like this for a long time. Consider some of the conflicts you wi111earn about in this chapter and later in this unit: • the 1837-1838 rebellions in Lower and Upper Canada, part of the attempt to reform the governments of those places • protests and demonstrations like the Montreal riot of 1849 over opposition to a new act passed by the government of Lower Canada, during which the parliament building was destroyed • strikes like the Toronto printers' strike of 1836, in which workers tried to win a shorter (ten-hour) work day Sometimes we think, "Wouldn't it be nice if there were no conflict in the world?" It probably would be. But sometimes conflict can serve a useful purpose. It can force us to look at issues and to decide whether rve need to make changes. Canadian history is full of conflict that has . esulted in positive change. In this " you will read about political conflicts in the Canadas in the 183, sand 1840s. As you study them, you should ask yourself what techniques might be used today to resolve the conflicts. Wars War is the most severe type of conflict. In war, nations generally fight nations. Wars are sometimes 10ng1asting with great loss of life, of both soldiers and civilians. You have read about a number war armed conflict, generally of wars in this book. between nations Think of the War of 1812. There were major battles in a number of places in Upper Canada, as the British and First Nations resisted the invading American forces. The Upper Canadians won an important victory. Americans never again went to war against British North America or Canada. H 138 Unit 3 : Conf I ict and Change ReADING Checkpoint Review your note. Where were the major battles of the War of 1812? The U.S. ship "Constitution," nicknamed "Old Ironsides, " sinks a British warship named "HBMS Guerriere" off Newfoundland in the War of 1812. The War of 1812 made British North Americans realize that they had their own identity. They were more than simply British people living in North America. They had found their own way of surviving in a harsh climate and rugged land. The words they used for objects in their everyday lives-chipmunks and moccasins­ and some names of places-Canada and Quebec-were not British words or names, but came from the languages of the First Nations of North America. British North Americans had also developed a familiar way of dealing with one another, less formal than the way people interacted in Britain. After the War of 1812, British North American pride began to increase. After 55 years of growth, this pride helped to give birth to the independent nation of Canada. Rebellions In history there are many examples of rebellions. People resent rebellions when citizens fight governments that won't listen to them. Sometimes a government against the authorities in power uses the army to restrain people who are peacefully protesting and revolution the overthrow of a government or political system, calling for reform. People start to believe that the only way they can usually with violence get change is to use force, so they start a rebellion. If they are successful, the rebellion is called a revolution. In Upper and Lower Canada in the 1830s, many people were dissatisfied with their governments. They believed that the governments were not interested in the welfare of the general population. Whenever the people tried to push for change, the governments ignored them. Chapter 7: Conflict and Conflict Resolution H 139 Shortly after the 1832 election riots in Lower Canada, the province was stricken by a cholera epidemic. More than 6000 people died, and the people of Montrea l and Quebec City blamed the 52 000 British immigrants who had arrived that yea r. This painting by Joseph Legare, ca lled Cholera Plague, Quebec, 1832, shows the fright­ ened citizens of Quebec City burning smudge pots to try to combat the illness. In 1832, there was a riot in Lower Canada during an election. British troops killed three people as they tried to restore order. Many people sympathized with the rioters. They thought that the actions of the troops were too harsh. The event increased support for the Patriotes, the people who were trying to win political reform. In Chapters 8 and 9, you will learn about the rebellions of 1837-1838. The rebellions resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries, but they forced the British to reform the governments of the Canadas. The rebellions produced good long-term results. Protests and Demonstrations Protests and demonstrations are methods people use to show their displeasure about something. Such events can be peaceful. But they can also get out of hand. Governments often bring armed police and troops into the street. They are there to keep order and to protect the innocent. But sometimes onlookers believe that the police use excessive force to break up the demonstrators. Police using tear gas to disperse demonstrators. Do Canadians still hold demonstrations as a you think people should have the right to demonstrate? Should poli ce be allowed to disperse them? way to bring about change by trying to change public opinion. H 140 Unit 3: Conflict and Change Strikes In the 1800s, working conditions were bad and wages low. Workers frequently organized strikes and protests to demand better conditions. For example, printers in Toronto organized a strike in 1836. They had been working 12 hours a day and wanted this reduced to 10 hours with no loss of pay. In 1855, Montreal railway workers went on strike for higher wages. Generally, such strikes were peaceful. But they could become violent. In the 1840s, canal workers used violence in their efforts to get better wages and working conditions. Noone likes strikes, especially violent ones. Consumers are inconvenienced. Businesses suffer. Workers lose wages. But there were so many strikes in the period from 1870-1900 that the federal government had to take notice. The Railway Disputes Act of 1903 and the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act of 1907 were some the federal government's early attempts to regulate industrial disputes. Again, A stri ke of day labourers in the port of Montrea l, 1877. Poor conditions and something unpleasant later low wages were factors in many such acti ons in Quebec at that time.