Learning from Past Mistakes; Canada and the Durham report

Question 1

What was the Family Compact (UC)

Answer 1

A small group fo men who controlled the executive council of Upper Canada from the 1810s - 1840s

Question 2

How many members were on the legislative assembly in UC?
and what power did they have?

Answer 2

16
- power to propose laws

Question 3

what fraction of land did the Anglican church profit off of in UC?

Answer 3

1/7th

Question 4

What land-ownership system was used in UC?

Answer 4

English Free-hold system
- more incentive to work hard

Question 5

How was revenue raised which frsutrated refrormers?

Answer 5

By seeling land to Canada Company, reformers uable to have any influrence

Question 6

Who were the reformers?

Answer 6

memebers of the legislative assemly who wished for greater economic + political control

Question 7

What did reformers call for?

Answer 7

Responsible Self government, which meant the removal of the Family CCompact

Question 8

What were the family compct boud by loyalty to ?

Answer 8

The Anglican Church

Question 9

What was the contrasting land=ownership system in LC?

Answer 9

‘Feudal’ or ‘Seigneurial’ system;
Land owned by a landlord (seigneur)of a large estate and rented out

Question 10

What % of the rural population in lc lived in Seigneurial land?

What were they known as?

Answer 10

75-80%

‘Habitants’

Question 11

Who were the ‘Chateau Clique’ ?

Answer 11

Exclusively english-speaking members of the executive council

Question 12

How many people petition to lobby for a French speaker in the house?

Answer 12

87,000
- it is rejected by Lord Dalhousie

Question 13

What was the main tension caused in LC

Answer 13

Fiercly French-Speaking + loyal therefoe the large influence of British nationalists create racial tensiosn

Question 14

Why do the patriots still want to uphold the seigneurial system

Answer 14

Primarily because it is NOT british
- shows anger of the british

Question 15

What is the result of the Canada Committe in 1829 which frustrates those living in U+L canada?

Answer 15

Its report sugessting sticking to the exisitng goverment arragements

and “proper management” would solve the problems

Question 16

What were the Long-term reasons for revolt in UC?

Answer 16

Political system, inc tight control of Family Compact

frustration of the control by the Anglican Church

Question 17

What were the short-term reasons for revolt in LC?

Answer 17

• Emergence of Radical in the refom party
• Actions of LT Govs
• 1836 elections

Question 18

Who did William Mckenzie take over the radical party for while they were away?

Answer 18

Robert Baldwin + his father

Question 19

Why was Mackenzie far less moderate than Baldwin?

Answer 19

Had expeirienced perosnal attacks by the sons of the Family Compact on his newspapers in 1826

Question 20

What did the ‘ops Township scheme’ do and why did it cause frustration

Answer 20

The Scheme supported immigrants with supplies (many Irish, viewed as criminally inclnied and thought to carry disease)

Frustration arose from cost and lack of consulttion with ELECTED legislative assembly

Question 21

What events increased cause of concern over immigration?

Answer 21

Cholera epidemics (1832, 1834)
Financil Crisis in America (1837)

Question 22

Who was Sir John Colborne (1828-35) and what the pros and cons of his acitions ?

Answer 22

one of the LT governors;
- genuinly improved infratrsucture
- Attempts to greater establish the Anlgican Church by allocating income from clergy reserves to support the 44 ongoing Anglican parishes - Highly Provocative Action
- Also bypasses legisltive assmebly to use public funds

Question 23

Who was Sir France Bone Head (1835- 1838) and what were the pros and cons of his actions ?

Answer 23

• Sparks election where BH campaigns vigorously, against tradition of LGs not taking part
• Removes Refromers successfully but gives reformers no legal means to influence so they feel they must rebel

Question 24

What was the reslt of the 1836 election?

Answer 24

win for Bone Head

Question 25

What were tow laws passed after the 1836 election and what did they prevent?

Answer 25

Intended to prevent reformers getting positions in govt

‘Law to extend session of the legislative’ - no election in within 6 months of Monarch’s death - King William IV was v ill

‘Law to prevent members of legislature from serving as executive councillors’ - future govs could not appoint reforms from legislative assembly to more powerful executive body

Question 26

What happens in december 1837 in UC?

Answer 26

5th Dec:
Several hundred poorly armed and organised rebels march - face smaller group of loyalists - flee from gunfire

8th Dec:
Rest of Rebels dispersed by Loyalist reinforcements in Toronto - small conforntation

Revolt effectively over - Mackenzie takes rebels and fless to ‘Navy Island’ in the ‘Niagara River’
Declares a provisional state - around 600 join him
Their supply ship gets burned however

Question 27

Why was the revolt ineffective in UC?

Answer 27

Mackenie had poor leadership and uncertain aims
- British highly effective

Question 28

Long term causes of Revolt in LC

Answer 28

Exclusion of French-Speaking ppl from government

Question 29

Short term cause of Revolt in LC?

Answer 29

Leadership of the patriots by Papineau

Economic and social issues in the province

The Gosford Commission of Inquiry + British decision about the colony from its findings

Question 30

What was Papineau’s main opposition to the British?

Answer 30

His French-Canadian heritage and his favorutism of the Seignurial system

Question 31

When were the 92 resolutions written up and what did they contain?

Answer 31

Feb 1834

92 resolutions published by Patiotes demanding constitutional change, highlighting elective councils and protection of French-Canadian identity

Question 32

In what year did the more radical wing of the refrom party gain a stronger voice in LC?

And what event fueled this?

Answer 32

1834

In 1832, two unarmed men were shot by military during protests

Question 33

What were the Russell Resolutions in response to?

Answer 33

The call for constitutional change in LC via the 92 resolutions

Question 34

What was the reaction to the Russell Revolutions?

Answer 34

outrage and frustration
- patriots call for meetings to boycott British goods

Question 35

What does wolfred nelson declare on the 26th October 1837?

Answer 35

“time has come to melt our spoons into bullets”

Question 36

When were the Russell Resoltions passed and what did they delcare

Answer 36

6th March 1837

The RRs essentially rejected the 92 resolutions and allowed governor to use funds without consulting any of the assemblies

Question 37

When does street fighting break out in LC?

Answer 37

6th November

Question 38

When does Nelson gain a surprise victory for the Patriots?

Answer 38

23rd November

Question 39

When is Martial Law declared ? and when is it revoked?

Answer 39

5th December 1837

17th April 1838

Question 40

When do Britian step up their actions and shoot 100 fleeing patriots and brun houses of those thought to be hiding them ?

Answer 40

14th december

Question 41

How many rebels were potnetially invovled in the LC revolt?

Answer 41

around 13,000

Question 42

What Act does Lord Durham help over the line?

Answer 42

The 1832 great reform act which gives growing middle class a voice through voting

Question 43

What were the three main ideas propsed in the Durham report?

Answer 43

Unification of Upper and Lower Canada

The end of French-Canadians “freedoms” which included system of land ownership

Responsible Self-Government

Question 44

Where and when was the first colony in Canada gived responsible self government

Answer 44

Wasn’t until 1848 - 10 years later- that Novia Scotia (a smaller Canadian colony) to be granted self-gov

Question 45

What were the negatvies about the Durham report?

Answer 45

It doens’t consider Native Americans in Canada
Responsible Self Government only proposed to White colonies - not India or Jamaica

Question 46

What was Durham’s reaction to the executive councils in LC?

Answer 46

he “wouldnt listen to them”
- First act was to remove them and replace with his own staff in both U+L canada

Question 47

What are two other things Durha does?

Answer 47

Set up police force
Put relationship with US on stronger feet

Question 48

Two main adivsors to Lord Durham?

Answer 48

Edward Wakefield

Charles Buller