Canada and the Durham Report 1837-40 Flashcards
When was the Durham Report published?
February 1839
What was the key theme of the Durham Report?
responsible self-government
What Act created Upper and Lower Canada?
1791 Constitutional Act
Which of Upper and Lower Canada had a significant French population?
Lower Canada
Name the two other colonies of Canada (ie not Lower or Upper Canada).
Nova Scotia
Newfoundland
When did the Upper Canada revolt begin?
December 1837
When did the Lower Canada revolt begin?
November 1837
What was the term that was used to describe a small group of men who controlled the Upper Canada executive council from 1810s to 1840s?
Family Compact
Did the American War of Independence have more effect on Upper or Lower Canada?
Upper, as was close rest of North America and lots of loyalists settled there to take advantage of free land.
Who chose the member of the executive councils in Upper and Lower Canada?
The lieutenant governors
Who appointed the lieutenant governors of Upper and Lower Canada?
British government
Who were responsible for raising taxes in each of Upper and Lower Canada?
legislative assemblies
How were the legislative assemblies of Upper and Lower Canada appointed?
elected by fairly wide franchise of land-owning males
Who had to approve laws passed by legislative assemblies in Upper Canada or Lower Canada?
Legislative councils who were appointed for life
What economic issues faced Upper Canada?
lack of infrastructure
small population from which to raise tax revenues
What was the population of Upper Canada in 1835?
350,000
Although most of land of Upper Canada was free for Crown to keep or give to settlers, what was one-seventh designated as?
Clergy Reserves ie profits from sale or rent were supporting the Anglican Church in the province
What was the system of land ownership in Lower Canada?
feudal system with land granted to a seigneur who rented to tenants who subsistence farmed
What was the principal language of Lower Canada?
French
What was the Chateau Clique?
group of wealthy (mainly British) families in Lower Canada who controlled power through executive council
What was the name given to supporters of reform to the system of political power in Lower Canada?
patriotes
Who was the governor of Lower Canada 1820-28?
Lord Dalhousie (the one who was then posted to India)
What did the 1791 Constitution allow for French-Canadians?
- religious freedom
- preservation of their system of land tenure
What four key things did the Quebec Act 1774 do?
- incorporated New France into British Empire
- guaranteed religious freedom to French-Canadians
- allowed Catholic Church to collect tithes
- maintained French laws in civil matters, eg land tenure system and division of land for inheritance rather than going to oldest son
Why was the Canada Committee formed in 1828?
to report to British Government on grievances in Canadas and suggest remedies
What did the Howick Act 1831 do?
transferred revenue from duties on Canadian goods to control of local assemblies in the provinces
Why was the Howick Act 1831 agreed by British parliament?
belief that American Revolution stemmed purely from taxation issues so everything would be OK if Canada in financial control
What were the four short-term issues that caused the revolt in Upper Canada?
- more radical voices within Reform Party
- impoverished new emigrants arising in 1830s
- actions of Colborne and then Head as lieutenant governors
- results of 1836 election
Who organised the 1837 rebellion in Upper Canada?
William Lyon Mackenzie
What was the Ops Township Scheme?
It administered official help by the Upper Canada government for poor immigrants, eg temporary shelters and cheap supplies.
What action caused Sir John Colborne to be removed from role as lieutenant governor of Upper Canada in 1835?
allocation of income from clergy reserves to ongoing support of 44 Anglican parishes to further establish the Anglican Church
What was the key outcome of the 1836 election in Upper Canada?
Reformers removed from legislative assembly
When was the revolt in Upper Canada?
December 1837
What happened in the revolt in Upper Canada?
Several hundred poorly armed and organised rebels exchanged gunfire with some loyalistsl, most rebels fled, three days later the rest fled after loyalist reinforcements arrived from Toronto, many to America.
What were the three short-term causes of the revolt in Lower Canada?
- leadership of patriotes by Papineau
- economic and social issues
- Gosford Commission of Enquiru and decisions resulting from it
Who led the Patriot Party in the 1820s and 1830s?
Louis-Joseph Papineau
What were the 92 Resolutions? (not asking for a list!)
long list of political demands of the patriotes
Who drafted the 92 Resolutions?
Louis-Joseph Papineau
How many Russell Resolutions were there?
10
What were the Russell Resolutions? (not asking for a list)
Resolutions passed by British House of Commons relating to political demands of Lower Canada
How many patriotes ended up in Montreal jails due to the Lower Canada revolt?
500
How many rebels were estimated to be involved in the Lower Canada revolt?
10,000 (though largest gatherings were only about 1,000)
During what period was martial law in force in Lower Canada?
December 1837 to April 1838
Which was the only Durham Report recommendation that became law soon afterwards?
unification of Upper and Lower Canada
Which province of Canada first got self-government and when?
Nova Scotia in 1848
Which relevant people group did Durham not mention in his report?
native Americans
What two things made Lord Durham popular in Canada?
- consulted widely and speedily with the population
- publically discounted the views of those who previously had executive power - he removed the executive council and replaced with own advisers
How long was Lord Durham in Canada before he resigned?
4.5 months
What happened to political prisoners under Durham?
He pardoned most but banished the “most guilty” to Bermuda
What was the Bill of Indemnity?
bill in British parliament declaring Lord Durham’s actions re political prisoners illegal
Why did Lord Durham resign?
- During debates on Bill of Indemnity, Lord Melbourne (prime minister) didn’t defend Durham so he felt undermined
- He may also have been suffering from ill health.
Name two of Lord Durham’s key advisers.
Gibbon Wakefield (a convicted criminal)
Charles Buller
What was Wakefield’s theory of systematic colonisation?
Land should be sold to immigrants are relatively high price (rather than given away or sold cheaply), as this would benefit the economy of a colony both through raising money and because would only attract settlers who could afford it.
Why did Lord Durham think uniting Lower and Upper Canada was a good idea?
to weaken influence of French-Canadians (who he thought had caused the problems in Lower Canada)
Why did Upper Canada vote for unification?
- Lower Canada in better economic position
- British settlers would be in majority
Why was there little Lower Canada opposition to unification?
rebels in exile
assembly suspended
Why was Lord Durham’s report important to the empire in general?
It led to responsible self-government in many parts of the empire settled by whites so kept Empire together (as if not allowed to self-govern would probably have left the Empire like USA)
