Immigration to Canada: The Mennonites
             When the Mennonites started to flee Europe it was because of severe persecution from the Catholics and Protestants. The Mennonites religion was seen as bad because it was different from their own. The Mennonites believe that a church is a group of voluntary adults, which are baptized on their own confession of faith. No children are baptized until they understand their religion and can say they wish to fully be apart of it. For only the reason that the Mennonites didn't share the same beliefs as them, they were forced from their homes. Four thousand Mennonites were murdered by the Catholics and Protestants in Europe, most of these deaths were by burning or drowning. Clearly these people had to flee Europe to save their lives and the lives of their families. This was the reason behind the first group of people that came to settle in North America.
             The first major wave of immigrants to North America arrived in 1683 and settled in Georgetown, Philadelphia, which is the oldest Mennonite settlement in North America. The next small wave of settlers was in the 1700's; they all first arrived in Philadelphia so it became the port of preference for Mennonites.
             The first Mennonites to arrive in Canada arrived in 1786 when they came from Pennsylvania. They had to flee from the states because they were being persecuted there because of their pacifism during the American Revolution. Canada also had much more to offer including the western agricultural frontier and much better minority rights. Approximately two thousand Mennonites travelled from Pennsylvania to Ontario between the years of 1786 and 1825.
             The second migration to Canada was when around 7000 Russian Mennonites came to Canada in the 1870's. They came in search for land to farm and on the frontier. Two large reserves were made available to the settlers as soon as they had arrived, two more were made i...