Making a Living in 19th Century Newfoundland Early Immigrants Early Immigrants depended on resources from land and sea. Self-sufficient – providing most of what they needed for themselves. There was a reliance on merchants and traders for foodstuffs that could not be found on the island Industries Two stable industries during 1800’s: 1. 2. Seal fishery

Three main areas of employment related to the cod fishery: 1. The (inshore, Labrador, and bank) 2. The merchant (store for supplies they couldn’t get themselves – nets for work, sugar for food paid by credit/trade) 3. The boat builders Consumer Economy Economy where people use money to buy what they need What we have today – we rely on banks We pay money (credit, debit, cash) for items we need or want such as groceries In the 1800s these things did not exist as they do today Subsistence Economy People make/grow/build most of what they need to live Your geographic location (where you live) limits what you can do for yourself This economy is not based on money A Comparison Needs 19th Century Today’s Consumer Subsistence Economy Economy Home Heating Cut firewood, burn Pay hydro, buy oil blubber Housing Build houses out of Buy a house or rent an snow, tents out of skin apartment Clothing Sew or knit clothing Purchase pre-made clothing Home Entertainment Play instruments, tell Watch TV, computers, stories video games, etc. Food (ex. milk, meat, Milk a cow, grow a Buy at supermarket vegetables, berries) garden, fish, gather, hunt Inshore Fishery Happened hear the shore Men would make several trips each day Used handlines – long lines with weighted bait hooks attached used to catch cod. Fish flake – a raised wooden platform that allowed air to move around the drying fish Curing Fish Why was this important? Quality of the “cure” affected the grade the fish would be given. The grade determined the price paid to the fishermen: (bad cure = low price!) Who cured the fish? This happened after the fish were caught and split Curing was an onshore job done by women and children: Keep flies away Cover when wet/raining Turn and dry evenly on both sides Use correct amount of salt for best results Additional Duties Women and Children Men Tend vegetable gardens Mend and repair Look after livestock gear Wash Fix boats clothes/household Build fish flakes chores Hunt for animals Haul water for Haul wood for cooking/washing fuel/resources Cooking and meals

Labrador Fishery A migratory fishery conducted by non-residents of Labrador Every year thousands of Newfoundlanders left in June to fish the coast of Labrador (returning in September) Sometimes entire families went to the Labrador fishery. Labrador residents welcomed the arrival of Newfoundlanders every spring and would “have a time” when they arrived. Labrador Fishery It was a difficult trip from Newfoundland to Labrador for three reasons: 1. Women and children had to travel for a week in very small boats not meant to carry passengers 2. These boats would also be filled with fishing supplies needed for the season. 3. The weather when coming home in late September/October could be very dangerous. Labrador Fishery Two groups involved in the Labrador Fishery: 1. Stationers Stayed on shore and from one location They only went as far as Cape Harrison 2. Floaters Stayed on their boats and travelled from one fishing ground along the coast to another. Would not stop to lay out the fish and dry it, so they would have to use a lot more salt to preserve the fish. They went as far as Cape Chidley. Bank Fishery Refers to the Grand Banks, Rose Blanche Bank, and St. Pierre Bank where fish gathered to spawn and feed. This fishery used large vessels called schooners. Schooners sailed out to the fishing Banks with smaller boats (dories) and a crew of men. When they arrived a 2-man crew got in the dories and left the schooner to fish by handlines with bait the way they do in the Inshore fishery. They would return to the schooner several times a day to get more bait and unload the catch. Bank Fishery This was dangerous for the following reasons: 1. Having to ride out gales and storm on the open sea 2. Navigate through fog 3. Dory could capsize easily 4. Run down by other boats 5. Stranded from the schooner Resulting Lifestyle Changes The Bank fishery caused lifestyle changes in the 1800s: 1. The season was extended, started earlier and ended later 2. Men had less time to cut wood so families had to purchase coal for fuel 3. Women had less time for gardens and other food production because they were drying the fish, families had to buy more food than ever before. Newfoundland began to move from a self-sufficient economy to one that was consumer-based. Truck System The method of trade between fishermen and merchants Features of the Truck System: Cashless system where no money was exchanged The fishermen brought their season’s catch to the merchant The fishermen received credit for goods available from the merchant (fishing gear, food, clothing) Fish Grading Fish was valued by its grade (7 different grades) The grade was determined by the culler (merchant appointed) The higher the grade the higher the price Lowest grade – West Indies Highest grade – Spain, Portugal, and Italy When fish were plentiful the cullers were very strict on quality BUT when fish were scarce and catches were low, cullers were less strict…this meant fishermen could never be sure how much credit the catch was worth. Fairness in the Truck System? Prices for fish AND goods available in the stores were set by the merchant, this meant the fishing families were in a difficult position because they could be easily exploited. Often only one merchant in outport communities so fishermen could not negotiate for a better price (no competition). Sometimes at the end of a bad season the fishing family would be in debt to the merchant (this could last for many years) Fairness in the Truck System?

Unfair: 1. Overcharged for goods 2. Paid unfair prices for fish 3. Refused credit to fishermen Fair: 1. Supported families during bad years (saying they needed the profit of good years to balance out the supplying of food and goods when fishermen didn’t make money) 2. Faced financial risk because of unsteady price the fish could bring in the marketplace and they could not recover the debt owed to them 3. Supported the community and respected the men, trying to help when they could (rescue efforts) Sealing Industry Two branches: 1. Landsman’s hunt – near the shore (similar to inshore fishery) 2. Offshore hunt – “the front” (off Labrador)and “the gulf” (Gulf of St. Lawrence – larger ships with crews) Uses for seals: Food Clothing Oil Sealing Industry Oil was the main profit item from seals, commercially it could be used in many items including: Lamps Machine lubricants Softening textiles Paint Explosives Margarine At one time 84% of exports in NL were from seal oil! Dangers of Seal Fishery The location of the seal herds (on foot on the ice floes) The season of the hunt (February, March) The method used to hunt the seals (gaff/towing) Terms: Gaff – long iron tipped pole used to kill seals Sculping – the practice of removing the pelt with a thick layer of white fat still attached Skinner – person who removed the fat from the skin (could do 450 seals in 10 hours) Southern Cross A successful sealing ship in NL during the 1900’s. Lost at sea in 1914 during a severe blizzard while returning from the Gulf of St. Lawrence with a full load of seal pelts. One of Newfoundland’s worst sealing disasters with all 173 on board lost. Trappers Effect of Trade on Aboriginal People (negative) Traditionally, Aboriginal people (Innu & Inuit) had a subsistence lifestyle of hunting and gathering In 1800s they began to have a more commercial economy and focused on trapping beaver and fox fur for trade This caused great hardship and starvation when there were few animals to trap and trade Trappers Effect of Trading with the Moravian Missionaries: Operated a similar system with Inuit to the truck system fisherman had with merchants (both traded for goods and money was never a part of the trade) Moravians provided “services” for Inuit that merchants did not (Heath Care and Education). They were not available in any other way. Moravians would not supply harmful items like alcohol and always paid fair price for goods. (different from truck system between between fishermen and merchants). Trappers Effect of Trading with the Hudson Bay Company: HBC (Zellars) has been a Canadian business since the 1770’s. In 1830 it opened in Labrador. Many outposts to trade with the Innu for furs. Put many small traders out of business since many Innu traded with HBC exclusively. Shipbuilding Primary (first) method of transportation was the boat/ship. Often men built their own. Availability of timber was a factor in deciding where a community settled and grew. As demand grew, shipbuilding became an industry (consumer) more than what people did for their own use (subsistence) Michael Kearney May have been Newfoundland’s greatest shipbuilder (but no accurate count of how many ships he helped construct) Learned to build ships in England & Ireland as a young man. He returned to his family and their love of the sea (both brothers were sea captains) His talents included sailor, sail making, shipwright. His ships were known for strength, speed & beauty. Well respected citizen and was elected to House of Assembly in 1865. Famous boats: Ida and Gauntlet