GOLD RUSH
After gold started depleting..
Fraser River, Klondike River
- job = money for their family =
- massive gold deposits found in British Columbia
- gold = instant wealth
- began immigrating in 1858 because of this
- the CPR (intercontinental railway)
Came to Canada because..
- 1881-1885 15,000 Chinese immigrated to Canada
Reasons for leaving China
- there was not enough farmland to grow crops, therefore there was no food. If there was food, it would have been sold for a high price
- people did not like Manchu which led the Qing Dynasty Taiping Rebellion (1851-1864) took 20 million lives
- Other wars (around 1854-1868) took 150,000 lives
- only 10 percent of land was usable for farming
- bandits raided villages and destroyed crops
- between 1780-1850, the population went from 16 to 28 million
- floods, drought, storms, etc.
Early Chinese Immigration
- FEDERAL GOV'T MADE 23 MILLION DOLLARS THROUGH HEAD TAX
- CANADIAN PARLIAMENT PASSED THIS, WHICH RESTRICTED ALL CHINESE FROM IMMIGRATING INTO CANADA
- HEAD TAX INCREASED TO $100.00 IN 1900 AND AGAIN IN 1903 TO $500.00
- BILL WAS PASSED IN 1885, RAISING HEAD TAX TO $50.00 ON CHINESE PERSON(S)
- FEDERAL GOV'T WANTED TO STOP ALL CHINESE FROM IMMIGRATING TO CANADA
After the CPR was built...
- ACT REPEALED AROUND 1923-1947
- CHINESE IMMIGRATION/EXCLUSION ACT 1923