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| Arrival - 1869 | |
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On one of the many great ships steaming across the Atlantic, bearing immigrants
from the old world to the new, two young brothers watch for the shore of North America
to come, finally, into view. Walter Page, 17, and his brother John, 19, are as full of
dreams and ambition as any young man setting out to make his mark in a land full of
opportunity. As the Industrial Revolution steams ahead, young people are leaving their
village home in Devon in droves. Most of them are going to London cities to work in the
big factories. But the young Page boys are drawn to an even bigger adventure. North
America offers the promise of a less rigid social structure than England, a place where an
ambitious, hard-working young man can really make something of himself. And Walter,
with his love of nature, is drawn to the stories he has heard of Canada's vast, unexplored
wilderness. Of course, life in Canada is likely to bring hardship. The Page boys have heard stories of settlers who have been defeated by the bitter winters and rough pioneer lifestyle. Perhaps, sometimes, late at night, they think nostalgically of the little Devon village they will never see again, and worry about what the future holds. But there are plenty of diversions to keep them from such gloomy thoughts. In the evenings when the steerage passengers gather to drink beer and trade stories they seldom talk of the homes they have left behind. Instead, they share their dreams of greatness in the new country that lies ahead. Walter has already struck up a firm friendship with a young man named Henry Shaw, also headed for Toronto - a friendship that will last a lifetime. | |
Next, Foundation - 1887 | |
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THE MAN - THE LEGEND - THE PRODUCT SITE MAP | |