Canada essay plan Flashcards
Strengths of the source for the first inquiry
- Accurate impression of attitudes as report based off interviews with Canadians.
- Clear most Canadians loyal to empire (as not that many revolted).
- Highlights attitudes deteriorated in 1830s but Canadians still loyal - Revolts child of political frustrations, calls for responsible and cheap government.
- Further states that Canadians had loyalists attitudes (Upper C only talks about loyalty to British) - because rebels fled to US or Navy Island?
Weaknesses for first inquiry
- Attitudes different in Upper and Lower Canada and Durham based in Quebec.
- Does source include French-Canadian attitudes?
- Fails to mention concerns of Indigenous people.
Strengths for second inquiry
- Implies Brit gov too involved with way colony run on day-to-day basis, e.g Colborne built preparatory schools and allocated income to Anglican Church.
- Reveals Canadians had little to no say in how colony was run.
- Military issue (use of word surely + Gosford increasing military presence and banned protest meetings.
Weaknesses for second inquiry
- Radical Jack liberalism might influence views on governing (slagging off 1834-35 tory MP Robert Peel indirectly maybe?).
- Report meant to assess how constitutional reform should occur, therefore may be over stressing some fails to validate some recommendations.
- Must infer governing based on his criticism + is vague and doesn’t include any specific policies of stats.
‘not desirable that we should interfere with the Colonies’ internal legislation in matters which do not affect their relations with the mother country’
British government is too involved in way colony was run on a day to day basis, e.g. Colborne - this is not how Durham thought the Empire should be run.
‘irritating interference on the part of the Home Government, with the enactment of laws regulating the internal concerns of the Colony, or in the selection of the persons entrusted with carrying them out’
Reveals Canadians had little to no say in how their province was run - Executive power did lie in hands on governor and executive council appointed by Britain and only responsible to London, meaning legislative assembly (appointed by voters) had no voice.
- No wonder French referred to council as ‘Chateau Clique’.
‘it surely cannot be the duty, or in the interest of Great Britain, to keep such an expensive military presence in these Colonies’
- ‘surely’ illustrates Durham critiquing governing system.
- The expensive military presence may be referring to Gosford increasing military presense, issuing a proclamation banning all protest meetings, then a month later banning all public meetings because of the widespread unrest and agitation from Russell Resolutions.
‘predominant feeling of all the English population of the North American Colonies is that of devoted attachment to the mother country’
Illustrates that although were revolts in 1837s the general consensus was clear most Canadians were loyal to Empire. Supported by the fact that the number of rebels was relatively small (350,000 in Upper Canada only 1,000 rebels, and 550,000 in Lower Canada only 13,000 rebels) - significant majority didn’t want revolution, or if they did, they didn’t want it enough to rebel.
‘all the English population’
Leads me to wonder whether source even includes French-Canadian attitudes towards Empire, which was significant proportion of Lower Canada - therefore cant fully explain attitudes as not in Britain’s interests to associate with French people and part of Durham’s aim was to remove the French majority in lower Canada.
‘many who are much dissatisfied with the existing administration of the Government, have given their loyalty’
Highlights that 1830s attitudes deteriorated but loyalty to Empire remained - Durham argued that the revolts were the child of political frustrations towards rule from Whitehall. Throughout 1830s increasingly were calls for a responsible and cheap government and many only become more radical and rebelled when they thought change within the system was no longer possible.
‘are not to be denied or overlooked’
Durham known as ‘radical jack’ as was part of a group called ‘radical imperialists’ and contributed to the passing of the 1832 reform act in Britain - so liberal point of view may have influenced his opinion on governing. Plus in 1834-35 Tory Robert Peel was MP so maybe in Whig parties’ interests to prove that things rejected in 1834, e.g. 92 Resolutions due to tories and Whigs will make sure Canadians not ‘denied or overlooked’
‘the attachment constantly exhibited…has all the characteristics of a strong national feeling’
Implying that despite revolts by a small number of people, after the revolts Canadians had mostly loyalist attitudes - was the case as in Upper Canada in meetings talks were solely of loyalty to the British. Perhaps because those who wanted revolution fled to America or Navy Island or kept their mouth shut.
Darwin, Unfinished Empire quote
‘In neither Canadian uprising were the rebels able to muster a large enough following to overawe goverment’s supporters’
