Life in 1850s Canada was a turbulent decade defined by social changes.

The temperance movement rallied against alcohol, seeking a ban. Members believed a ban would solve many of society’s ills including domestic violence, neglect and poverty. The movement began in Canada in the 1830s.  It was popular among Protestants who sponsored dances, picnics, suppers and sleigh rides to spread their message. Prohibition was in effect in New Brunswick between 1850-54.  In 1856, another version was tried and repealed.

Women gained small freedoms.  New career opportunities, such as teaching, became available.  It wasn’t all roses, however.  The high cost of living in urban areas necessitated a two-income household.

Industrialization quickly freed up people’s time.  New inventions, such as the sewing machine, made the lives of both men and women easier.  This gave rise to large factories, often staffed by immigrants and the poor.

Finally, the strict society rules that we often associate with the late Victorian era had their start around this time.  Rules dictated every part of life.

Some quirks of life in the 1850s Canada:

  • Dueling was made illegal in the 1840s, but it still happened.
  • Towns always had rival businesses, such as newspapers and hotels.
  • Voting was public, and crowds cheered or jeered voters.
Sugar Making in Quebec, about 1850. Public domain.

Sugar Making in Quebec, about 1850. Public domain.

What Did It Mean to Be Canadian in 1850s Canada?

Canada in the mid-19th century was going through an identity crisis.  It was less radical than the United States, but less conservative than the United Kingdom.  It would remain stuck between these nations’ influences until the end of the Great War, when Canadians finally figured out what it meant to be Canadian.

What is modern-day Quebec was more homogenous than the other colonies.  Its inhabitants were mostly of French decent and shared a religion, language and cultural heritage.  Other colonies were a mosaic of identities with no political unity among them.

Society was difficult, dangerous and sometimes violent.  Addiction to rum and whisky was common, and animosity existed between the Protestant and Catholic population.

A view of just how hilly and uneven the foundation of Quebec was from across the St. Lawrence River, 1850. In the foreground Native Americans can be seen interacting with Quebecóis, and on this particular day the St. Lawrence wass especially crowded with vessels heading in all directions. Public domain.

A view of just how hilly and uneven the foundation of Quebec was from across the St. Lawrence River, 1850. In the foreground Native Americans can be seen interacting with Quebecóis, and on this particular day the St. Lawrence wass especially crowded with vessels heading in all directions. Public domain.

Rebellions

Rebellions were common in Colonial Canada as residents often disagreed with the government.  Two  occurred during Rose’s youth:

  • 1839 – 130 rebels are sentenced to the Australian penal colony for their role in a rebellion two years earlier after a series of bad harvests.
  • 1849 – Parliament in Quebec was burned along with records, paintings and a library.

In February 1841, an new constitution is adopted and Kingston becomes the capital of Canada.

The Burning of the House of Assembly at Montreal, April 25, 1849. The Illustrated London News, May 19, 1849. – Courtesy National Archives Canada. Public domain.

The Burning of the House of Assembly at Montreal, April 25, 1849. The Illustrated London News, May 19, 1849. – Courtesy National Archives Canada. Public domain.

Underground Railroad

Numbers vary widely, but as many as 100,000 slaves escaped north from the United States to Canada via the Underground Railroad, the largest anti-slavery freedom movement in North America.  Most often, in the 1850s, the destination was Canada West (what is today Ontario).

The Canadian Act to Limit Slavery of 1793 ensured that any enslaved person who reached Upper Canada (the name for Canada West at the time) became free upon arrival.  While the act sounds like a victory, it did not free enslaved adults living in Upper Canada and they continued to be bought and sold until New York abolished slavery later that decade.  Children, however, were freed upon reaching the age of 25, and newborns were free at birth.  Slaveholders were required to provide security for freed slaves.

By the time Rose joins the abolitionist movement, the number of slaves reaching Canada had increased dramatically.  While many Canadians were willing to help the new arrivals, others believed slaves should be sent back and that the United States needed to deal with its sins.

“Underground” routes to Canada. Public domain.

“Underground” routes to Canada. Public domain.

Immigration

By the 1840s, the French had been in Canada for seven generations.  Those of English, Scottish and Irish decent, like Rose in Rose’s Assignment, came to the new world for economic reasons. They may have been displaced because of economic difficulties but were not impoverished. They generally were young, ambitious, had saved some money, and emigrated from a society too oppressive for upward mobility.

The exception was during the Irish Potato Famine.  People traveled on ships that normally were empty on the Canadian leg of the journey.  The Irish were in poor health, unprepared for their journey, and their arrival caused a stir in society.

The Collins Line steamer SS Baltic (1850). Public domain.

The Collins Line steamer SS Baltic (1850). Public domain.

The Telegraph

The telegraph revolutionize 19th century communication.

In 1847, the Montreal Telegraph Co. connected Montreal to Toronto, Detroit and Portland.

In 1858, the first trans-Atlantic cable was installed, but it stopped working.  It wasn’t replaced until 1866.

Painting of a Collins Overland Telegraph cabin, British Columbia. Public domain.

Painting of a Collins Overland Telegraph cabin, British Columbia. Public domain.

Farms

A large portion of the population still lived on farms in the 1850s Canada.

Farm life hadn’t changed much since the start of the century.  Chores included clearing land, milking cows, feeding animals, cutting and splitting wood, building and maintaining fences, making jams and jellies, spinning, weaving, quilting, sewing, and candle making.

Square dances were one form of country recreation.

Winter Scene in Lower Canada. 1858. Public domain.

Winter Scene in Lower Canada. 1858. Public domain.

Medicine

During the first half of the 19th century, Canadian children died of diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, typhoid and smallpox.  Cholera outbreaks were frequent.  One in June 1832 killed 9,000 people.

But it wasn’t all bad news.  Ether and chloroform , the first innovation that made surgery safer, went into use in 1846.

A representation of the cholera epidemic of the 19th century. Before 1830, cholera was unknown in the Western Hemisphere. It became one of the most feared epidemic diseases of the 19th century. Public domain.

A representation of the cholera epidemic of the 19th century. Before 1830, cholera was unknown in the Western Hemisphere. It became one of the most feared epidemic diseases of the 19th century. Public domain.

Winter

In mid-19th century Canada, life practically stopped November through April.  Waterways froze.  Farms shut down.  And business partially halted.

Poverty was common in the winter.  Food, fuel and clothing became more expensive.  Farmers prepared by stocking away food and wood (later coal), installing storm windows and putting sod or branches around their foundations.

In towns and cities, winter balls and dances were held.  These events led to many courtships and marriages.

Camp in winter. 1858. Public domain.

Camp in winter. 1858. Public domain.

Railroads

Early railroads traveled at the whopping (for the 1830s) speed of 30 to 40 miles per hour.

The public and businesses loved the new technology.  The public appreciated it eliminated the needed to travel in dirt and mud and enabled winter travel.  Businesses loved trains’ speed and punctuality.  Businesses also took advantage of new markets and offered new goods for sale. Not every business prospered, however.  Taverns, located every five miles along roads to feed and house travelers, began to disappear.

The first rail line in Canada opened in 1836.  The Champlain and St. Lawrence ran from St. Jean to Richelieu.  John Molson, of Molson’s Brewery, provided 20 percent of the railway’s start-up funding.  By 1851, the line operated year around. In Ontario, the British-owned Grand Trunk Railway operated between Montreal and Toronto, and between Toronto and Guelph.  By 1880, the line extended southwest to Chicago.

The locomotive Essex on the Great Western Railway, Canada, at Clifton Depot by the Niagara River in 1859. Public domain.

The locomotive Essex on the Great Western Railway, Canada, at Clifton Depot by the Niagara River in 1859. Public domain.

Early Photography

Group of people in front of a house pointing in various directions om Marmora, Ontario, 1850s.

Group of people in front of a house pointing in various directions om Marmora, Ontario, 1850s. Photo Credit: Public domain.

Life in Rose’s 1850s Canada

Rose was born into pre-Confederation Canada, meaning it was still a collection of colonies north of the American border.  It also was still sparsely populated.   By 1840, only 10 communities had a population of 3,000 or more.  Montreal was the largest at 40,000.

In the 1830s, the Rideau and Trent canals were built.  Nevertheless, news still traveled slowly and appeared in newspapers generally 10 to 14 days after events occurred.

The demand in urban areas for goods and services increased and every town had a commercial center with offices, banks, hotels, insurance companies, taverns, stores, warehouses and homes.  Smaller areas were less dense, and people felt a sense of community.

Some merchants, like the Goodwins in the novella, lived in the upper floor of their three-story buildings.

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