StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

History of canadian labour - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
In these works the abundance of land is said to provide the possibility for economic security and independence. Bitterman recognizes that to a certain extent this myth is…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.9% of users find it useful
History of canadian labour
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "History of canadian labour"

History of Canadian labour In his article, Bitterman addresses the myth of the independent yeoman diffused through Maritime literature. In these works the abundance of land is said to provide the possibility for economic security and independence. Bitterman recognizes that to a certain extent this myth is true and such possibilities were undoubtedly greater than in the Old World. However he maintains that this is only partially and that the reality for many was, in fact, very different. Bitterman therefore sets out to explore the ‘the importance of wage labour to farm folk in the Northeastern Maritimes in the first half of the 19th century’.

(Bitterman 4) Bitterman argues that many farmers began life in the Maritimes as employees, citing Jones’ three-tier system of those with capital who could hire other people, those who could support themselves and those who needed to off-farm work while undergoing the process of farm-making. He argues that thousands of people fell into this third category, thereby not having independence. Bitterman uses many primary sources to support this claim from document of the landlord John Cambridge to Lord Selkirk and the accounts of Kavanaugh.

While these sources provide strong evidence for the initial dependence of early settlers on wages, they do not truly explode the myth of independence, since it is clear that often these dependencies were only true for as long as it took to establish the farm. Indeed Bitterman refers to wage work ‘in the early stages of farm-making’. (Bitterman 5). It is also necessary to consider the fact that these sources, while useful, are limited in scope and Bitterman expands this limited evidence to account for thousands of immigrants in this period.

Bitterman also argues that independence varied depending on the yield and weather conditions and a family that one year was independent could be forced to seek paid work the next. He takes as evidence the observations of Baddeck who noted that even 30 years after settlement occupants of hundreds of farms in the area were not truly independent. Bitterman also traces the variety of labour opportunities available and the way in which the settlers moved between paid work and labour on their farms, using as evidence documents relating to the MacNutt farm among others.

From ship building to textiles, the possibilities for paid employment are varied and Bitterman’s account is compelling in its completeness and usage of primary sources. However Bitterman accepts that the calculations of the degree of dependency of farmers on wages are only estimates stating ‘the analysis of farm deficits ultimately rests on a series of assumptions concerning patterns of production and consumption’ (Bitterman 17). He also notes that information regarding workforce participation is fragmentary.

While therefore risking generalising too broadly with limited evidence, Bitterman ultimately reigns in his analysis and acknowledges the limits to understanding the extent of the dependence of early settlers. Bleasdale deals with the stereotype of the Irish settlers in Canada as unstable and aggressive. She explores this phenomenon, going beyond the acceptance of this as an Anglo-Saxon social norm and examining the economic basis for this behaviour. She argues that the reason for outbreaks of violence was primarily class conflict in the form of ‘a bitter resistance to the position which [the Irish] were forced to assume in the society of British North America’.

(Bleasdale 28). Irish immigrants were largely unskilled poor labourers who were unable to invest in land. Many therefore found temporary work in construction and Bleasdale cites the construction of canals in Canada as a major source of employment for these unskilled men. However even these extensive engineering works did not provide enough employment for the vast numbers of immigrants. Lacking the money to travel, the unemployed immigrants therefore set up shanty towns near construction sites.

They survived by stealing and Bleasdale reports observers who stated that their extreme poverty forced them to such measures to survive. These extremes of poverty are also reported in newspapers and official letters to the extent that Bleasdale concludes that this state of affairs was not exaggerated. For those that did find work, the wage levels were too low to adequately support themselves and their families. Bleasdale supports this claim with government statistic of 1842. Bleasdale then examines some of the measures brought in to try to ease this situation, such as the contract introduced by the Board of Works which stated wages must be paid in cash rather than tickets.

However she demonstrates that this measure was not well implemented and in many cases ignored. In facing these hardships the immigrants formed into close-knit working class communities united by their suffering and their common Irish roots. This fuelled a sense of fraternity and communal organization augmented by a compelling commitment to Catholicism. Much of her evidence for this is based on secondary literature rather than a re-examination of primary sources which in part weakens her argument.

This unity also took on a political flavour with Irish canallers marching against Orangemen in Toronto and supporting the repeal of the legislative union between England and Ireland. This political dedication often led the Irish immigrants to clash with the Protestant culture in Canada. Immigrant canallers were also divided into two large and very hostile groups with would often clash with one another, the Cork and Connaught. This division of factions dominated all aspects of life, from living conditions to working arrangements.

Employers recognised that setting men of the same faction to work together made working conditions much more peaceful. Here again she relies on secondary literature The strength of Bleasdale’s article, however, lies in her discussion of the one situation under which the factions united – strikes. Often the need to demand higher wages overcame the hostility between groups, reinforcing Bleasdale’s theory that it was class conflict rather than factionism which was the main reason for Irish violence.

Bleasdale underlines that information on strike action is patchy but she concludes that workers succeeded in pushing wages up. She makes the interesting assertion that the 19th century secret societies were well adapted to the new Irish position and that they allowed the factions to unite, knowing that they has a set of moral codes beyond those prescribed by law. The majority of evidence that Bleasdale cites is from official records which is a difficulty in her research since it does not necessarily reflect the true picture.

Sources citedBitterman, R., ‘Farm Households and Wage Labour in the Northeastern Maritimes in the Early Nineteenth Century’ in Canadian Working-class History: Selected Readings. Eds. Macdowell, Laurel Sefton & Radforth, Ian. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press, 2006Bleasdale, Ruth, ‘Class Conflict on the Canals of Upper Canada in the 1840s’ in Canadian Working-class History: Selected Readings. Eds. Macdowell, Laurel Sefton & Radforth, Ian. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press, 2006

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“History of canadian labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1550888-history-of-canadian-labour
(History of Canadian Labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1550888-history-of-canadian-labour.
“History of Canadian Labour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1550888-history-of-canadian-labour.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF History of canadian labour

Industrial Peace in Canada

(How "anti-union" laws saved canadian labour: certification and striker replacements in post-war industrial relations.... (A history of Labor Unions in Canada.... Industrial Relations (canadian).... Universally, the right to organize is a fundamental freedom enshrined in the constitutions of democratic nations....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

History of Labor Day in Canada

Another book by one of the authors, Craig Heron's The canadian Labor Movement: A Short History has this same famous sweep. On a Sunday evening a century ago this weekend, 14,000 francophone workers gathered on Old Montreal to prepare for Labor Day.... They show how the Labor movement has evolved since the 1880s, along with canadian society as a whole.... Think about a history book written most humanely making a phenomenon like parade versus break in the country-pivotal to the story....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

History of Canadian Labor

The author of the essay entitled "history of canadian Labor" states that the Laboring class or working class has always been a subject of socio-political interest.... nbsp;… The author presents The Experience of Toronto Skilled Workers', 1860-1892”, “Joe Beef of Montreal: Working-Class Culture and the Tavern, 1869-1889”, and “After the Fur Trade: The Aboriginal Laboring Class of British Columbia 1849-1890” we look at what the writers have to say about canadian laboring class....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Terry Fox and His Contributions for the Canadian and Non-Canadian

He suffered from bone cancer and realized lack of adequate cancer research work to provide patients proper treatment of the… However, he had to shorten his run when the signs of cancer started appearing in his body again after three years and it was discovered that cancer has He continued his run for 143 days during which he covered 5....
5 Pages (1250 words) Research Paper

Canadian Labor industry

This essay describes the canadian Labor industry in the early and late 1900's and, how they affected the equal participation of women in the provision of labor services....  It will be guided by the following research questions: What were the stereotypes associated with women in the canadian Labor market and how did these influence allocation of duties as well as remuneration?... astly, what were the efforts taken to improve working conditions for women in the canadian set-up?...
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Canadian Economy over the Last Two Years

The effect of the appreciation of the Canadian dollar became adverse with the worldwide financial turmoil in credit markets and the slowdown in foreign demand  The aforementioned letter cited the following statistics to underscore the point:labour markets have weakened, and employment is poised to decline further as the slowdown takes hold.... This paper "How Successful Have the canadian Government and Bank of Canada Been in Running the canadian Economy over the Last Two Years" focuses on the fact that in 2008, the economic growth of Canada slowed down sharply from 2....
6 Pages (1500 words) Case Study

Immigrant and Black Women Status in Workplace

iverse cultural, legal, demographic, and ethno-racial influences shaped the history of women in the Canadian labor force.... To gain recognition in the skilled labor market, the black women acquired training in the canadian soil.... The black women participated in heavy field labor that the canadian natives could not work in....
7 Pages (1750 words) Report

The History of Chinese Head Tax

This coursework "The history of Chinese Head Tax" focuses on the Canadian government that is at the forefront of the fight against discrimination against the immigrants.... Immediately the canadian Pacific Railway was completely constructed and operating, the federal government acted fast and put a restriction on the Chinese migration to Canada....
9 Pages (2250 words) Coursework
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us