8) Tensions in Lower Canada

Question 1

What led to the development of a society in Lower Canada that made them split into two groups?

Answer 1

The arrival of several Irish, Scottish and English immigrants led to them having to chose between French Canadien and British.

Question 2

What is nationalism?

Answer 2

A political ideology of independence for a country.

Question 3

What facilitated Canadien nationalism?

Answer 3

The Catholic religion, French civil law and public use of French language.

Question 4

What is a popular assembly?

Answer 4

A meeting of leaders of a political party with members that agreed with their ideas.

Question 5

What did popular assemblies do?

Answer 5

They praised characteristics particular to the Canadien nation.

Question 6

What did the British advocate for?

Answer 6

Imperialism, a policy of extending a country’s power, the implementation of their cultural values, and assimilation in terms of language, religion and politics.

Question 7

What two political parties was the population split into?

Answer 7

Parti Canadien and Tori Party

Question 8

What were their political relationships?

Answer 8

Their relationships were peaceful between 1812 and 1815 but disagreements between language, culture and politics resumed until 1830.

Question 9

What did political debate among the legislative assembly resume over?

Answer 9

Canal financing, customs duties and subsidies.

Question 10

Canal financing

Answer 10

Because there was an increase in trade, businessmen had to look for an effective mode of transportation, constructing canals was the solution, so British bourgeoisie implemented canals in Upper Canada.

Question 11

What did the elected officials of Parti Canadien agree to?

Answer 11

That canals needed to be built, but they would only allow the government to finance the development of canals in Lower Canada, not Upper Canada because they believed it would only profit the British.

Question 12

What did Parti Canadien allow?

Answer 12

That Upper Canada continue to invest in agriculture, because it benefited the population of Canada as a whole. They wanted canals to be what Lower Canada benefitted from.

Question 13

What is a custom duty?

Answer 13

A tax collected on incoming imported goods as they cross the boarder.

Question 14

Custom duties

Answer 14

Since Lower Canada had several ports, customs on imported goods were a key source of revenue for the government of Lower Canada.

Question 15

How was this a disadvantage for Upper Canada?

Answer 15

They didn’t have any ports.

Question 16

What did Upper Canada do about that issue?

Answer 16

They thought it was unfair that Lower Canada was making too much money, so in 1817, an agreement was made that Upper Canada would get 20% customs duties collected in Lower Canada.

Question 17

How did Lower Canada feel about this?

Answer 17

They were opposed to the idea, so it ended after 2 years. Upper Canada was deprived from a major source of making money.

Question 18

What are subsidies?

Answer 18

Money gained from the Legislative Assembly’s power of taxation.

Question 19

What were subsidies used for?

Answer 19

Normally they were used to help fund the development of infrastructure like canals and prisons, but in 1820 the governor George Ramsey wanted subsidies to fund the deficit (amount owed to institutions after borrowing money) instead of projects.

Question 20

How did the Legislative assembly feel about this?

Answer 20

They agreed as long as they could oversee the spending, but George Ramsey refused to be accountable to the Legislative assembly’s spending.

Question 21

What were the demands of the Canadiens?

Answer 21

They wanted a more important role within the government of Lower Canada, they demanded for a reform of their political institutions because the British were in a minority and controlled the political system.

Question 22

The creation of Parti Patriote.

Answer 22

In 1826, the Parti Canadien became Parti Patriote. They were led by Louis-Joseph-Papineau, who was the speaker of the legislative assembly, they kept demanding for more democratic institutions. The Parti Patriote was evolved into a more radical position.

Question 23

Reformist position of Parti Patriote

Answer 23

They wanted to transform existing institutions while maintaining political ties with London, they were influenced by Liberal ideas. They negotiated with the British government and used Legal methods. They created newspapers and organized popular assemblies.

Question 24

Radical position of Parti Patriote

Answer 24

They wanted to transform existing political institutions. When this failed, they demanded the independence of Lower Canada. They used weapons and confronted the British government. They created newspapers and organized popular assemblies.

Question 25

Louis-Joseph Papineau

Answer 25

He was a politician, seigneur and lawyer. He was elected speaker of the assembly in 1815. He became the leader of the Parti Canadien, instead of Pierre-Stanislas Bédard. He fought to democratize Lower Canada’s political institution.

Question 26

What caused tensions to risen in the 1830’s?

Answer 26

Poor harvests, the British wouldn’t give new seigneurial territories, an increase in seigneurial dues between 1820 and 1830, the reservation of land in the Eastern townships for British immigrants and violence committed by British soldiers during political rallies.

Question 27

What did the Canadiens count on considering what happened?

Answer 27

They counted on the Legislative assembly to improve their living conditions, but their bills were never able to be passed into a law because it favoured the Canadiens.

Question 28

What did Louis-Joseph Papineau do?

Answer 28

He wanted peaceful, non-violent protests. He established boycotts on British products.

Question 29

What is a boycott?

Answer 29

When a group of people refuse to purchase products for political reasons.

Question 30

Republicanism in Lower Canada

Answer 30

The Canadiens were disappointed with the British constitutional monarchy, so they began to look at other models of government, particularly the American system of republicanism. The Patriotes kept questioning the role of the British monarchy and demanded political changes.

Question 31

What was adopted in 1834?

Answer 31

The Patriotes wrote an official document called the 92 resolutions. It stated that the British parliamentary system favoured the British.

Question 32

What were some of the resolutions demanded?

Answer 32

Members of the legislative council should be elected, not appointed, the legislative assembly manage the governors budget, more canadiens in public administration, protection of French language and civil law and ministerial responsibility.

Question 33

What is ministerial responsibility?

Answer 33

Members of the executive council are elected by the majority of members of the legislative assembly

Question 34

What did Governor Aylmer do?

Answer 34

He opposed the 92 resolutions and dissolved the legislative assembly. Elections were held in 1834 and voters of Lower Canada supported the Parti Patriote. 78 of 84 members were elected on the Legislative assembly.

Question 35

What did the British government do because of Aylmer’s reaction?

Answer 35

They replaced him with governor Gosford. Great Britain hoped he would solve the tension.

Question 36

The Russell Resolutions

Answer 36

It took 3 years for the British parliament to respond to the 92 resolutions. They adopted 10 of them. The mother country rejected all the other demands and authorized the colonial administration to stop the Legislative assemblies subsidies.