XMM oad 138. Unit 3: Conflict and Change Some people feel that all the news in the newspaper or on TV is bad. “There's never any good news.” Have you ever heard anyone say this? Much of the bad news deals with conflict. It’s been like this for a long time, Consider some of the conflicts you will learn about in this chapter and later in this unit: * the 1837-1838 rebellions in Lower and Upper Canada, part of the attempt to reform the governments of those places * protests and demonstrations like the Montréal riot of 1849 over opposition to a new act passed by the government of Lower Canada, during which the parliament building was destroyed * strikes like the Toronto printers’ strike of 1836, in which workers tried to win a shorter (ten-hour) work day Sometimes we think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if there were no conflict in the world?” It probably would be, But sometimes conflict can serve a useful purpose, It can force us to look at issues and to decide whether we need to make changes. Canadian history is full of conflict that has yesulted in positive change, In this pein read about political conflicts in the Canadas in the 1836s and 1840s. As you study them, you should ask yourself what techniques might be used today to resolve the confficts. Wars War is the most severe type of conflict. In war, nations generally fight nations, Wars are sometimes longlasting with great loss of life, of both soldiers and civilians, You have read about a number of wars in this book. Think of the War of 1812, There were major battles in a number of places in Upper Canada, as the British and First Nations resisted the invading American forces. The Upper Canadians won an important victory. Americans never again went to war against British North America or Canada.The US. ship “Constitution,” nicknamed "Old lronsides," sinks a British warship rammed "HBMS Guerriere” off Newfoundland in the War of 1812. ‘The War of 1812 made British North Americans realize that they had their own identity. They were more than simply British. people living in North America. They had found their own way of surviving in a harsh climate and rugged land, The words they used for objects in their everyday lives—chipmunks and moceasins— and some names of places—Canada and Quéhee—were not British, words or names, but came from the languages of the First Nations of North America. British North Americans had also developed a familiar way of dealing with one another, less formal than the way people interacted in Britain, After the War of 1812, British North American pride began to increase. After 55 years of growth, this pride helped to give birth to the independent nation of Canada. Rebellions In history there are many examples of rebellions, People resent governments that won’t listen to them. Sometimes a government uses the army to restrain people who are peacefully protesting and calling for reform. People start to believe that the only way they can get change is to use force, so they start a rebellion. If they are successful, the rebellion is called a revolution. In Upper and Lower Canada in the 1830s, many people were dissatisfied with their governments. They believed that the governments were not interested in the welfare of the general population, Whenever the people tried to push for change, the governments ignored them. Checkpoint Review your note. Where were the major battles of the War of 182? Chapter 7: Conflict and Conflict Resolution W138| Shorly after the 1832 election rits in Lower Canada, the province was stricken by a cholera epicernic. More than 6000 people dled, ard the people of Montréal anc Quebec Gly blamed the $2 000 Bish immigrants who had arrived that year This painting by Joseph Legare, called Cholera Plague, Quétec, 1832, shows the fight ened cilizens of Québec City burning smudge pots t try to combat the illness. In 1832, there was a riot in Lower Canada during an election. British troops killed three people as they tried to restore order. Many people sympathized with the rioters. They thought that the actions of the troops were too harsh. The event increased support for the Patriotes, the people who were trying to win political refor In Chapters 8 and 9, you will learn about the rebellions of 1837-1838. The rebellions resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries, but they forced the British to reform the governments of the Canadas. The rebellions produced good long-term results, Protests and Demonstrations Protests and demonstrations are methods people use to show their displeasure about something. Such events can be peaceful. But they can also get out of hand. Governments often bring armed police and troops into the street. They are there to keep order and to protect the innocent. But sometimes onlookers believe that the police use excessive force to break up the demonstrators Bolice using ear gas borieparea demenetraiore: Co Canadians still hold demonstrations as a you think peaple should have he night to demonstrate? . Should police be aliowed to disperse them? way to bring about change by trying to change public opinion. H140 Unit 3: Conflict and ChangeStrikes In the 1800s, working conditions were bad and wages low. Workers frequently organized strikes and protests to demand better conditions. For example, printers in Toronto organized a strike in 1836, They had been working 12 hours a day and wanted this reduced to 10 hours with no loss of pay. In 1855, Montréal railway workers went on strike for higher wages. Generally, such strikes were peaceful. But they could become violent. In the 1840s, canal workers used violence in their efforts to get better wages and working conditions. No one likes strikes, especially violent ones, Consumers are inconvenienced. Businesses suffer. Workers lose wages. But there were so many strikes in the period from 1870-1900 that the federal government had to take notice. ‘The Railway Disputes Act of 1903 and the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act of 1907 were some the federal government's early attempts to regulate industrial disputes. Again, 7 A strike of cay labourers in the port of Moniséal, 1877. Poor conditions and something unpleasant later low wages were factors in many such actions in Québec at that time. produced a good result. LES eee aa 1. a) Do you think the news would be betterif 3. Are there any new privileges you would like to reporters told us only about “good” news? get at home? Identify them. Explain how you Explain, might negotiate to bring about that change. © ) According to the text, why is “bad” news 4. Collect recent news stories or headlines about, important for nations? the types of conflicts described in this section. Include protests, strikes, rebellions, and wars. Make your own poster, or work with others to make'a bulletin board display. (= Make a chart to describe the benefits that have come to us today from previous (a) wars, (b) rebellions, (c) protests, and (d) strikes. Which of these would you be prepared to take part in if you felt they could have a good long-term result? Explain your reasons. (2 (3 Chapter 7: Conflict and Conflict Resolution 141