Who |
Origins |
When and Why They Came |
| People of African descent | America (United States) |
1628-1793; as slaves of other settlers (slavery ended in Upper Canada in 1793) 1700s - 1800s; as refugees avoiding slavery and racial oppression 1783-1790s; as "Loyalists" 1790-1870; as run-away slaves (in 1830, the network of people that brought them to Upper Canada was named the "Underground Railroad") |
| "Americans" | America (United States) |
1749-1812; as "Loyalists" -
many different backgrounds, religions and occupations - First Nations
people also in this group 1790s-1812; for available land and economic opportunity |
| Amish | Pennsylvania, America | 1820's; for land and to avoid religious and political conflict (originally arrived in America in 1720s from Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Netherlands) |
| English | England (Great Britain) |
before 1830; mostly military or
government officials 1830-1850s; leaving economic hardship (1842; 40,684 English in Upper Canada 1851; 82,699 English in Upper Canada) |
| Germans | Germany | late 1700s; as "Loyalists" 1800s; cities and industries expanding and farming becoming less important |
| Mennonites | Europe and America | 1786-1825; from Pennsylvania as
"Loyalists" 1825-1874; from Russia and Pennsylvania; for cheaper and better farm land |
| Scottish | Scotland | before 1815; 15 000 came to Upper
Canada 1815-1870; 170 000 to Upper Canada; leaving economic hardship and general "unrest" |
| Source; Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples, Ed. Paul Robert Magosci, University of Toronto Press, 1999 | ||