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Canadian Theme Unit

Newfoundland and Confederation

Newfoundland and Confederation
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   5.5

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    colony, assembly, province, refused, council, impressed, barter, meant, depend, longer, stayed, lived, vote, already, okay, trouble
     content words:    When Britain, Quebec Conference, World War, World War II, United States, Then Nunavut

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Newfoundland and Confederation
By Mary Lynn Bushong 		  
1     Newfoundland was Britain's first colony. It was not meant to be permanent, only seasonal. Fishermen were to come in the spring. They would fish all summer and go home in the fall.
 
2     A few decided to stay all year round. Soon more and more stayed. When Britain finally decided that was okay in 1824, 50,000 people already lived there.
 
3     Britain appointed a governor and then a council in 1826. An elected assembly followed in 1833. The people wanted more. They wanted a responsible government, not an appointed one.
 
4     At first, Britain refused. Finally in 1855, they agreed. Now the people of Newfoundland had to depend on themselves for revenue.
 
5     This was harder than you might think. Most of the people got what they wanted through barter. They did not have much money. Instead they used a tariff on imported goods.
 
6     The island's isolation made the people of Newfoundland independent. When the other colonies began to talk of joining together, they did not think to ask Newfoundland.
 
7     When the leaders of Newfoundland heard about the conference, they wanted to come too. Plans had been made, and it was too late for them to go to Charlottetown. They could still go to the Quebec Conference, though.
 
8     Two men went and listened. They were impressed. They went home excited about joining Canada. They did not know that others were just as firm about not joining.

Paragraphs 9 to 17:
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