Canadian and American Economic History Similiaries?

Question

I'm writing an essay for an economic history class and my thesis is basically that Canada copied America (economically) in their earlier history (1700's/1800's). Does anyone know any major economic events that I could draw examples from? (Such as the American System/National Policy of Canada)

Answer 1

Your premise is wrong. Canada did not copy America, which is one reason Canada stayed loyal to England and what is now the U.S.A. seceded. So while you can find analogies and similarities, you will not be painting an accurate picture of either.

The key differences include:

1. The climate was quite different. Industrial agriculture just wasn't economical in Canada, while cotton and tobacco plantations were an important part of the U.S. economy. (Canada even imported food from the U.S.A.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_hi...

In contrast, Canada continued exporting logs and other forest products long after that had become a minor export of the U.S.A.

2. Even in the settled areas, the population density of Canada was significantly lower than that of the U.S.A. Fewer people meant smaller markets for entrepreneurs and a smaller skill pool for developing new product and technologies. It also meant fewer resources available for public works such as roads, canals, bridges etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_hi...

(The Canadian government went broke trying to build some canals)

The lack of an effective transportation network crippled Canada in comparison with the U.S.A.

3. Partly as a result of this, manufacturing and factoring trade was a much more important part of the U.S. economy than it was of the Canadian economy. (England restricted both manufacturing and shipping in its colonies):

http://www.publicbookshelf.com/public_ht...

http://www.civilwarhome.com/civilwarindu...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangular_...

The 200 years you seem to be trying to cover would call for many books rather than a short essay. I'd suggest a shorter chunk of time - perhaps just the period before the southern colonies declared independence? Or a more focused subject, such as the development of transportation in the two countries.

As for copying, if you are going to focus on that element, you have to make sure that one was copying the other and not that both were learning from England (as they were).