The Colonists: Land and a Government & Confederation

Vocabulary flashcards for Chapters 2 and 3

Colony

Overseas possession of another country that governs and uses it for its own purposes.

Upper Canada

British colony 'up' the St. Lawrence, mostly English speaking.

Lower Canada

British colony 'down' the St. Lawrence, mostly French speaking.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

A British declaration confirming Aboriginal title to lands west of the Mississippi River.

Implicit

Something that is implied, and not openly expressed.

Métis

A person of both Aboriginal and European descent.

Loyalist

Americans who did not support the American Revolution, many of whom moved to the British colonies.

Gentry

The upper class in Britain.

Clergy

People ordained for religious service.

Mortgage

To use something as security for a loan.

Barter Economy

An economy based on trading services for services instead of using money.

Blight

A disease caused by mold, fungus, or bacteria that can kill plants.

Estate

A tract of land often covering thousands of hectares, owned by one person.

Tenant Farmer

Someone who farms land owned by someone else, keeping part of the produce as payment.

Class System

A society in which those born into privileged groups have rights and advantages that others do not.

Family Compact

The small group of wealthy elite who controlled government in Upper Canada.

Absentee Landlord

A person who owns land, but does not live there.

Land Speculators

Those who buy government lands at low prices and sell at a higher price, usually without spending money to improve it.

Insurrection

Taking up arms against the government.

Seigneurial System

The system of landholding in New France; seigneurs were given estates and responsibilities to settle the land and oversee its administration.

Coffin Ship

A death ship; disease and death were common on cargo vessels used to carry passengers at this time.

Steerage

The area below decks on a ship, used to store cargo.

Francophone

French-speaking.

Victorian

Of or pertaining to the reign of Queen Victoria.

Middle Class

At the time, a social class that had very wealthy members without aristocratic heritage.

Sentimentalize

To appeal to emotion rather than reason.

Materialistic

Valuing material possessions above all else.

Band

An Aboriginal community recognized by the government as an administrative unit.

Assimilate

To join another culture and to give up one's own language and traditions.

Enfranchisement

Granting someone the rights and protection of a citizen of a particular country.

Huckster

A person who usually uses aggressive selling tactics to make a profit.

Whist

A card game for four players divided into two teams.

Leisure Travel

Travelling just for the fun of it, to get away for a holiday.

Infrastructure

The roads, canals, sewers, public services, and transportation networks that allow a community to function.

Elders

People respected for their wisdom and understanding of traditional knowledge.

Cultural Genocide

The act of completely destroying the culture of a people.

Cultural Genocide

The act of completely destroying the culture of a people.

Bias

Strongly favouring a point of view to the point of misrepresenting other views.

Mercantilism

An economic system based on colonialism, in which the home country uses raw goods imported from the colonies to manufacture goods.

Corn Laws

Laws which protected agriculture in the British Empire by limiting the import of grain from other countries.

Tariff

A duty, or charge, that must be paid on an imported item.

Economic Depression

A period of low economic activity marked by high unemployment.

Rebellion Losses Bill

A bill promising compensation to people of Canada East who suffered property damage during the Rebellions of 1837.

Federation

A union of provinces, each of which keeps certain powers but gives up other powers to a central, national government.

Manifest Destiny

An American idea that it was the fate of the United States to control all of North America.

Representation by Population

The number of members in the Legislative Assembly representing an electing area, or riding, should be determined by the population of the riding.

Coalition

In politics, when one or more political parties or interest groups work together to achieve a common goal.

Corruption

In politics, taking bribes or using one's influence to gain an unfair advantage.

Reciprocity

An agreement that provided for free trade between the United States and the British colonies.