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THE GREAT MIGRATION
One of the main subject's being talked about lately, is the Great Migration of North America.
The 1840's and 60's were said to be the most dramatic years of the British colonies becuase of the changes going on.
With emigrates of Scottish, English, Irish, and Welsh families, coming from Britian, it put a heavy damper to the population as it began to
change, the African American slaves also coming over dint help to ease the stress, it just increased the population to a higher rate, making
things within certain areas more harder to spread to families.
With the new culture's entering, they did happen to bring both good and bad materials and use's to North America.
The people of different cultures brought over with them, new Language's, customs, and Beliefs who added to those of the Aboriginal peoples.
The French Canadians, and British settlers already living within the colonies.
With the growing population of over a million new settler's, about most made up of the Irish.
The Irish were the most desprate of the immigrates. Their basic crop was the 'Potato'.
It was th easist the Irish could make without giving it much attention.
The Irish were greatly poor, so they all mainly relied on the growth and preduction of potato's and other vegtable products.
But sadly, as the 1845's and 46 rolled around, a Blight turned their potato crop into a complete mushy waste.
The whole population replieing off the potato's being grown were devistated to find out these results, and were now turned from
'The Starving Population' to the 'Dying Population'.
As we discovered, a relief worker wrote in his letter, and I quote:
The population were like walking skeletons,
the men stamped with the lived mark of hunger,
the children crying with pain,
the women [were simply] too weak to stand. . .
All the sheep were gone, all the cows and all the poultry killed.
Now, onto more depth in the previous discussion.
The famine, or food shortage, and the disease's, such as Cholera and Typhus turned most villages hit with it into complete ghost towns.
As the Famine Irish faced this matter deeper, they decided the starvation and disease was too much, and to raise the cost of the passage
emigrated to North America.
They then sent many off to board onto Timber Ships, ships which were made to carry timber wood from the colonies of Britain.
The main Timber ship was called the Thomas Gelston, which carried over five-hundred passengers within it's holds, for around a estimated
nine-week crossing.
Now, the living quarters were cramped beyond belief, the passangers to add soon found they dint have enough food or water, which made
some ill and sick, speially towards the young and elderly.
One government inquiry reported, and I quote:
There was only a passage of just less than a metre between their berths. . . .
The passengers were this obliged to eat in their berths . . .
In one were a man, his wife, his sister, and five children;
in another were six full-grown young women, whilst that above them contained five men, and the next eight men.
And, as we got, a journalist, Steven de Vere wrote this of his trip, and I quote:
Hundreds of poor people, men, women, and children. . . .
huddled together, without light, without air, wallowing in filth. . .
sick in body, dispirited in heart. . .
washing was impossible. . . and voyage took three months.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILWAY
This topic Coming up is known to be more usefull then most may take it for.
The Underground railway was used for the main pupose of helping to bring those bound slaves to freedom within Canada.
Now this process wasn't as easy as some may take it, in order for these slaves to make it through North America, and to Canada without
being spoted or brought back to their master's, they obviously needed some well known help.
People of the country whom thought using people as slaves was just that of evil practice, created places or homes called 'Safe houses'
Where run-a-way slaves could go to at night, and hopefully keep safe and hiddin within the day, before moving another step closer to their
freedom in Canada.
As the slaves masters summonded bounty hunters to go out and search for their missing slaves, those slaves whom managed to stay
hiddin and uncaught, were most of the one's that made it safely to Canada, though I must say, that more then half the slaves who set
out to find their promised land [Canada west] we're soon found, and brought back for their horrible punishments, as well as the punishments
to those who kept them hiddin and safe.
But as years soon began to pass, the law of slavery was soon locked away, and having slaves was no more, therefore allowing most of the
Fugitives to drift back to the United states, although they dint get all the best welcome to be back.
"There is much prejudice here against us" one man said, after finding out he was rejected from entering a Inn said to be filled up.
I look upon slavery as I do upon a deadly poison. . . .
My feet were frostbitten on the way North, but I would rather have died on the way than to go back.
I want to say to the coloured people in the United States: . . . if you wish to be free men, I hope you will all
come to Canada.
I came in without a shilling. I now own a house and one hundred and one acres [40.9 ha] of land
These were the words from a fugitive whom made it to their promised land [Canada]. He spoke them for themselves, and Im sure almost everyone
would agree, Canada was a much free're land than the United States ever was back then.
 Hell Mistress · Wed Mar 07, 2007 @ 02:43am · 0 Comments |
