Post #11: Settling with Simcoe

July 31, 1793

Dear Journal,

Not much has happened lately until now. Just yesterday Simcoe (I already told you about him); arrived in York with his wife and servants he was going to make sure that the fort was being built. As soon as he came he had town plans drawn up because he and his family were living there it became a base for the government. He also faced many challenges he is currently living in a canvas house because he does not have a real house. I have a feeling that he might be in there for a while. Also, Sir Guy Carleton preferred Kingston as the capital of Upper Canada so Simcoe didn’t get any financial support. I don’t know how they are going to do that because York is all wildernesses. The Queen’s Rangers helped Simcoe with some of the challenges that he faced. They protected the city and served as laborers. That is a lot of events in only two days.

August 20, 1793

Dear Journal,

Now there is going to be a war. This is probably going to prevent more Europeans from coming here.  Anyways Simcoe didn’t like the United States until he realized the potential source of new settlers and that people from the Ohio valley know how to carve a farm from wilderness. He bribed the Americans to come with offers of land. His interest in creating a society like England’s leaded him to give land grants of up to 5000 acres; these people were the wealthier type. Simcoe set aside 100 acre lots to in the future grant to government officials that moved from Newark. I thought that you would like to know that he also granted land to Late Loyalists. They received between200-1000 acres.