I am going to start with a book I have been reading.
Hamilton - A Peoples History - Bill Freeman.
I will go through each chapter, and just pull out some interesting facts to me, and what might be relavent to my family. If you want to get all the details I encourage you too see if you can find it at your library, or you can purchase it.
First Chapter:
The Head of The Lake
From beginnings - 1814
- The first inhabitants of the "head of the lake", which is the western end of Lake Ontario was the native people about 6000 years ago.
- 1638 - 1640 - The population decreases because of the small pox epidemic which was brought over by the Europeans
- 1650 - war that severely affected the native poupulation
- 1700 - The French had control of the area
- 1759 - British dominated after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham
- 1775-1783 - American war of Independence; 60,000 loyalists came to modern day Canada. About 10,000 of these went to upper Canada, and 2000 of those to the Niagara Peninsula (which included the Head of the Lake)
- 1787-1788 - "Hungry Years" because of a drought. Most didn't use money but a barter system.
- 1791 - Barton and Saltfleet Townships were surveyed by Augustus Jones
- Most in this area were farmers. Mos were given 200 acres and given clothes for 3 years, and basic tools.
- Most were members of the Church of England (Anglican), but Methodist became more popular in the rural areas.
- 1812 - Population of Upper Canada was about 77,000, 20,00 of these were loyalists, the rest were American settlers who were looking for cheap land (** This may be why my ancestors moved from the states to the area?**)
- 1812-1814 - War of 1812 (Battle of Stoney Creek - June 1813)
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