ECO322H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Northern Ontario, Opportunity Cost, Homestead Acts
Lecture 4 – ECO322
The National Policy, Dominion Lands Policy:
- After Confederation, the government needed to move fast to colonize the West and develop the
land before the US tries to take it; it would help by acquiring more natural resources and a bigger
market for its goods
Lincoln’s Homestead Act (1862): Gives incentive for people to settle westward by giving land
titles for a fee (160 acres); stimulated immigration to the USA
USA Transcontinental Railways: USA was building railways west, including very close to the
border
Manifest Destiny: Americans believed that they had a calling to control the whole of North
America
Trade between BC and Manitoba with US: It made them potential candidates as US States.
- (1869) Purchase of Rupert’s Land by the Canadian government
- (1870) Manitoba joins Canada as a province; gave Metis language and land rights but took
possession of natural resources
- (1871) BC joins Canada as a province; Bankruptcy due to transport financing (gold rush)
- (1873) PEI joins Canada because it assumes away its own debt
Construction of the railway (1868-1876):
- Financed by the government because they chose an unprofitable route relative to the Southern
US track
- Went above the Great Lakes instead of below them
Dominion Lands Policy:
- Meant to help the government out by having people settle out west to remove the financial
obligation of developing the territory
Homestead Grants 1872 & 1882:
- Copies Lincoln’s Homestead Act; get 160 acres for a fee within 20 miles of railroad
- Once you gained homestead, you could buy an adjoining 160 acres
via the “pre-emptive clause”
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
After confederation, the government needed to move fast to colonize the west and develop the land before the us tries to take it; it would help by acquiring more natural resources and a bigger market for its goods. Lincoln"s homestead act (1862): gives incentive for people to settle westward by giving land titles for a fee (160 acres); stimulated immigration to the usa. Usa transcontinental railways: usa was building railways west, including very close to the border. Manifest destiny: americans believed that they had a calling to control the whole of north. Trade between bc and manitoba with us: it made them potential candidates as us states. (1869) purchase of rupert"s land by the canadian government. (1870) manitoba joins canada as a province; gave metis language and land rights but took possession of natural resources. (1871) bc joins canada as a province; bankruptcy due to transport financing (gold rush) (1873) pei joins canada because it assumes away its own debt.
