▁as ▁a ▁hal cy on ▁period ▁for ▁the ▁Canadian ▁economy . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁the ▁optim istic ▁view ▁was ▁challeng ed ▁by ▁economic ▁histor ians . ▁They ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁trade ▁was ▁caused ▁by ▁both ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁rail ways ▁to ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁leading ▁to ▁huge ▁demand ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁They ▁also ▁argue ▁the ▁statistics ▁are ▁question able . ▁Before ▁the ▁tar iffs , ▁much ▁sm ugg ling ▁took ▁place . ▁Free ▁trade ▁brought ▁it ▁trade ▁into ▁the ▁open , ▁but ▁the ▁increase ▁in ▁recorded ▁trade ▁did ▁not ▁actually ▁reflect ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁economy . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁there ▁were ▁poor ▁whe at ▁har v ests ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Britain , ▁and ▁Russian ▁whe at ▁supplies ▁were ▁cut ▁off ▁by ▁the ▁Crime an ▁War . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁year ▁for ▁Canadian ▁whe at , ▁independently ▁from ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁tar iff . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁trade ▁hurt ▁Canadian ▁manufact uring . ▁For ▁instance , ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁milk ▁and ▁bar ley ▁hurt ▁the ▁Canadian ▁che ese ▁and ▁be er ▁tr ades . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁like ▁Officer ▁and ▁Smith ▁hold ▁that ▁the ▁economic ▁prosper ity ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁treat y ▁had ▁little ▁to ▁do ▁with ▁tar iffs . ▁ ▁The ▁treat y ▁stim ulated ▁the ▁coal ▁min ing ▁industry ▁in ▁Nova ▁Scot ia . ▁The ▁col ony ▁was ▁already ▁moving ▁toward ▁free ▁trade ▁before ▁the ▁ 1