2. Newfoundland and Labrador's permanent population rapidly
expanded during the first half of the 19th century, largely
due to an influx of English, Irish, and Scottish immigrants.
During the early 1800s, however, the migratory fishery gave
way to a resident one as more and more immigrants arrived
from overseas to live in coastal communities on the island or
in southern Labrador.
3. Overpopulation in many British towns caused some residents
to move elsewhere, while others wished to escape economic
hardships brought on by poor harvests, job losses due to
increased mechanization, the failure of local industries, and
other factors.
In contrast, the early decades of the 19th century brought
much economic prosperity to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Well-established trade routes between the United Kingdom
and Newfoundland and Labrador facilitated migration and
made the latter a somewhat familiar destination to those
wishing to leave their homes and settle elsewhere.
4. Push Factors
Push factors encourage people to leave their points of origin
and settle elsewhere, while pull factors attract migrants to
new areas.
For Example;
High unemployment is a common push factor, while an
abundance of jobs is an effective pull factor.
The period of most intense migration occurred during the
first three decades of the 19th century, when Newfoundland
and Labrador's population almost quadrupled from 19,000 in
1803 to 75,000 in 1836. Immigration into the country
continued for the remainder of the 19th century, but not on
as large a scale.
5. A variety of push factors existed in England and Ireland
during the early decades of the 19th century that would have
motivated residents to move elsewhere.
In England, centralization and industrialization eliminated
many regional jobs, particularly among the artisan class in the
southwestern portion of the country.
Unemployment also increased during the Napoleonic Wars
(1803-1815), when trade between Britain and continental
Europe collapsed under France's foreign policy.
6. The collapse of the textile industry in the southeast and a
series of poor farming seasons between 1770 and 1830
resulted in much economic hardship for members of the
working class.
During the first three decades of the 19th century, between
30,000 and 35,000 people left Ireland for Newfoundland and
Labrador, often to escape hunger, poverty, and overcrowded
living conditions.
7. Pull Factors
Newfoundland and Labrador's growing economy and small
resident population made it more than capable of absorbing
large numbers of immigrants during the early decades of the
19th century; these same factors also made it an attractive
destination for migrants wishing to escape poverty and
population congestion prevalent in their points of origin.
The Napoleonic and Anglo-American wars of the early 1800s
brought much economic prosperity to Newfoundland and
Labrador and helped turn its inshore fishery into a resident
rather than migratory industry.
8. As French and American fisheries declined between 1804 and
1815, Newfoundland and Labrador cod became more valuable
on the international market and the colony's fish exports
almost doubled from 625,519 quintals to approximately 1.2
million during the same time period.
The growth of other industries supplemented the summer
fishery and made permanent residence in Newfoundland and
Labrador more attractive; these included a spring seal hunt,
winter trapping season, and shipbuilding industry.
9. The United Kingdom's well-established shipping routes with
Newfoundland and Labrador also made the colony a popular
destination for British migrants.
Alongside sending regular shipments of goods to
Newfoundland and Labrador ports, merchants in southwest
England and southeast Ireland also sent workers overseas who
often took up permanent residence in the colony.
In addition, British vessels could not enter American ports
during the Anglo-American War (1812-1814), making
Newfoundland and Labrador a convenient alternative to
migrants wishing to leave the Old World for the New.
