Canada Flashcards
When was “New France” (French North American territories including Canada) ceded to the UK
1763 in the Treaty of Paris
When was the Constitutional Act of Canada and what was its main outcome
1791 - Divided Canada into Upper Canada (Mostly British settlers) and Lower Canada (Mostly French Speakers)
They had different land tenure systems, majority religions, and political systems but they were ruled under one governor
Which two Canadian territories were ruled directly by London and not part of Upper or Lower Canada
Newfoundland and Nova Scotia
What was the political system of Upper and Lower Canada
The Executive Council and Legislative Council dictated laws in the country - these were not voted for and made of wealthy elites
These were led by the Governor
There was also an elected legislative assembly voted for by the public but they could only offer advice which was often ignored
Which groups made up the Executive Council and Legislative Assembly and what did this mean
- The Family Compact (A group of elites made of wealthy people)
- The Church (owned 1/7 of land in Canada)
- The Canada Company (A group which aided colonising the territory)
This meant the law-making power was only given to the elites who would likely seek to benefit themselves instead of the common citizen
When was John Colborne in charge of Upper Canada
1828-36
How did Colborne develop Upper Canada and what % did its population increase by during his time
He encouraged immigration, and raised taxes to finance the construction of new roads and bridges to encourage settlement creation. This led to a 70% population increase during his time in charge
What was one decision made in 1829 by Colborne and the Legislative Council which showed the elites did not want social mobility
He denied the legislative assembly’s request to build a university and instead built an elite Upper Canada College designed for the elites like the Family Compact
Who were 2 famous ‘Reformists’ who opposed the Democratic Deficit in Upper Canada and how extreme were they both
- Robert Baldwin (More moderate)
- William Lyon MacKenzie (More radical)
How did the Family Compact exploit the working class for their own benefit
They raised taxes through laws in order to finance self-benefitting infrastructure and paying themselves
What is the term used to describe the declining social mobility in Upper Canada
Democratic Deficit
Who replaced John Colbourne as Governor in January 1836 and how experienced was he in leading
Francis Bond-Head - he was largely inexperienced and possibly was chosen because his inexperience meant he wouldn’t be associated with the British government
What was the first act of Bond-Head and what was its aim
He appointed Robert Baldwin to the executive council as an advisor, hoping to appease the reformists without giving them power
What was the term for the demand of the reform movement in Canada and especially Robert Baldwin
Responsible Government (a Government that answers to the will of an elected assembly)
What happened to Baldwin after his appointment in 1836
He fell out with Mackenzie who didn’t like Baldwin associating with the elites, then Baldwin resigned as he was not listened to in government, and travelled to London to try and seek help there
What did Baldwins actions in 1836 mean for the reform movement
Meant Mackenzie became the dominant figure in the reform movement which radicalised it more
How did Bond-Head interfere in the 1836 elections
He introduced a law extending the period between elections and banned members of the elected assembly sitting on the legislative council. He also tried to increase the amount of pro-council members in the legislative assembly in order to hide the widening of the democratic deficit
How did the public react to the interference in the 1836 elections
They were angry and saw that the democratic deficit was widening
How did foreign events increase class tension within Upper Canada
In 1832 Andrew Jackson refinanced the US bank which caused an economic depression in Canada, compounded by bad harvests
This meant that all of Canada was struggling financially, but rich people like bankers received heavy government support whilst the working class got nothing
Why were so many immigrants jailed in 1837
1/5 of British immigrants and many Irish immigrants were poor and could not afford to pay loans, getting them arrested
this was exacerbated in March 1837 as a law was passed giving merchants the option to sue farmers during harvest season
What was the elite society in Lower Canada called
The Chateau Clique
What two laws kept tensions in Lower Canada lower until the 1820s
1774 Quebec Act - guaranteed freedom to practice Catholicism
1791 Constitution Act - when Canada was divided in two Lower Canada was allowed to keep the French ‘seigneur’ land distribution system
Why did Lower Canadian working class people have more rights that those in Upper Canada
The British feared that the USA might intervene in Lower Canada and influence rebellion there but they were unconcerned about Upper Canada
Why did tensions begin to grow in Lower Canada
Oftentimes the desires of working class people were ignored by the legislative council which seeked to benefit the Chateau Clique
