Travels and Experiences in Canada, the Red River Territory, and the United States Kindle Edition

"Travel and Experiences in Canada, the Red River Territory, and the United States" was originally published in 1877. Its author, Peter O'Leary, was a labor organizer in Victorian England who traveled to North America as a representative of the British labor movement.In this book he describes his travels in North America. O'Leary's journey begins in London, and takes him to Londonderry in Northern Ireland. From there he crosses the Atlantic Ocean on a Canada-bound ship filled with British and Irish emigrants.Arriving in Canada, O'Leary lands in Quebec City. From there he travels extensively through Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States.From Quebec City, O'Leary travels to Montreal, which at the time was Canada's biggest city. From Montreal he goes on to Ottawa, the young capital of the new Canadian Federation.He journeys through southern Ontario, visiting the city of Toronto and the Niagara Falls. Traveling out into Manitoba, a western prairie territory that had only been recently acquired by the Canadian government, he visits the frontier town of Winnipeg.Leaving Winnipeg and Manitoba, O'Leary then crosses the border into the United States. He travels into Minnesota, visiting the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.He goes on to visit other large midwestern and northeastern American cities- Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia.In "Travels and Experiences" O'Leary describes his observations and opinions of Canada and the United States. O'Leary's commentary reflects his own personal biases- for example his dislike of alcohol consumption- but they also provide a fascinating insight into what an important portion of North America was like during the 1870s.The 1870s was a period of great change in both the United States and Canada. In Canada Confederation in 1867 had led to the creation of what can be considered the modern nation of Canada. Although Canada was still officially a part of the British Empire, the new Canadian government enjoyed complete autonomy in internal affairs. Only foreign affairs remained under the direction of Britain. The Canadian government even placed a tariff on British-made goods to protect native Canadian industry. In the book O'Leary remarks on the thoroughness of the inspection by Canadian customs agents when he and the other emigrants or travelers land in Quebec.This was the era when the Canadian government was extending its authority into the west. The vast expanses of Western Canada were originally under the loose authority of the Hudson's Bay Trading Company. But after the establishment of the Canadian Confederation in 1867, this British company agreed to turn its territory over to the Canadian goverment.The imminent transfer of territory over to Canada angered some of the Métis residents of the Red River Colony in modern-day Manitoba. The Métis were people of mixed First Nations (Native/indigenous) and European ancestry. They had lived in the region for generations and had not been consulted its transfer to a new government.Led by a man named Louis Riel, the Métis rose up in the Red River rebellion. When O'Leary arrived in Manitoba, the rebellion was over, Riel had gone into exile, and the Canadian government had taken control. But the trial of at least one of Riel's lieutenants was ongoing.In the United States O'Leary visits some major cities, which are teeming with foreign immigrants, including Britons, Irish, and Germans. These immigrants were part of a major wave of European immigrants that swelled the populations of American cities, and provided cheap labor for factories in the late 19th century.The author, Peter O'Leary (1839-1920), was born in Ireland, the son of a farm laborer. As a child, he and his family moved to England, settling outside of London. He worked as a farm laborer until he was 20 years old. After that he began a street mason and "paviour". He describes himself as self-taught, and was an active member o Read more