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Description

Unrecorded Pamphlet Advertising Czech Migration to Manitoba, "New Czechia."

Extremely rare pamphlet aimed at Czech farmers inviting them to become early settlers in central Canada.

The pamphlet, attributed to a covert group acting to recruit farmers from Central and Eastern Europe, is a fascinating example of the advertisements that sought to draw Central Europeans (Czechs in this case) to migrate to the United States. It describes the many benefits to Czech migration. It is due to advertisements and efforts such as this one that Canada now has the third-highest Czech expect population, after the United States and Germany.

The map features the railroad connections of Canada, with a line extending to Minneapolis. The map spices up the potential move to the New World by showing great infrastructure-rich and nature (note the fantastically fat cow). New settlements in the Manitoba area are marked along the railroad. An inset map shows international maritime routes. Both maps were done by Turner & Durnett, Liverpool, as noted in the lower left corner.

Authorship

The only attribution information apparent on the map is the imprint line reading "[Bohemian." The map was almost certainly executed by a commercial trust that organized the relocation of European farmers to Northern America. One of the firms most active in the region was the North Atlantic Trading Company, a company contracted by the Minister of the Interior that received bonuses for each suitable agricultural worker that they sent to Canada.

The North Atlantic Trading Company would come under increased scrutiny by the government regarding its actions. Both Conservatives in Parliament and Liberals in the Dominion were opposed to its actions. It would cease activities in 1896.

Provenance

This map, along with another of the same region, came from a descendant of a Central or Eastern European family who considered emigrating to the United States in the 1880s.

Rarity

We have been unable to trace any additional examples of this map through OCLC or other means.

Condition Description
Folding map. Printed both sides. Minor toning and wear along folds. Centerfold reinforced on verso with Japanese tissue.