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Mcdonald's National Policy Essay

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The National Policy is arguably one of the most successful economic and political strategy created by Sir John A. Macdonald’s Conservative Party. This strategy galvanized the levying of higher tariffs on goods entering from foreign markets which protected central Canadian manufacturers from the intense American market. This policy also restored the confidence of Canadians in the development of local industries. The extra funds generated by this protectionist policy, therefore, aided the dream of constructing a transcontinental railway across Canada and helped Canadians to regain confidence in the economy after the devastating Depression in the 1870s and failed reciprocity agreements with the United States. While the National Policy did not directly benefit the all of the provinces, it helped Canada expand westward, created more local industries and ultimately fostered the growth of a stronger economy. …show more content…

Many new industries included tableware, cutlery, and clock making. Also, developments in the agricultural and mining industries strengthened the young Canadian economy. Before the National Policy was enacted, the Canadian economy was dominated by mostly American-owned companies, such as Singer, Edison, Gillette, International Harvester, and Westinghouse. While these foreign companies created jobs, it outcompeted the local Canadian-owned companies. Also, foreign markets tend to exploit the value of resources which weakens the local economy. After the implementation of the National Policy in 1878, there was a doubling of the numbers of labourers in Ontario and Quebec. As a result, the wages in this region were doubled. This was highly favoured as the four years of economic depression caused a scarcity of jobs and a decline in the development of Canada. With the Canadian economy slowly dominated by local industries, this, in turn, forged a stronger

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