Learning from past mistakes: Canada and the Durham Report 1837-40 Flashcards
When was Upper and Lower Canada created?
1791 Constitution
What was Canada pre-1763?
New France
What change occurred in Upper Canada in 1825?
Free land grants were axed (due to high USA immigration) and sale-by-auction was introduced
What did the Canada Company receive in 1825?
A Royal Charter to aid colonisation and development of the province
What occurred in the executive council in Upper Canada between 1810-1840 and why?
The Family Compact grew in power as the lieutenant governor could not remove them constitutionally
How many members were there in the legislative assembly and council?
No fewer than 16 in the assembly and 7 in the council
What did the Family Compact support?
Anglican Church, allegiance to the crown
Why was the legislature in Canada so broken?
The council could block the bills of the assembly
What was the main religion in Upper Canada?
Non-Anglican ie Baptist, Methodist and Congressionalist
What was a seventh of land used for in UC?
Clergy reserves, with all profits going to the Anglican Church
Why were clergy reserves an issue in UC?
They were not supported by the majority of Christians in UC but the Family Compact made sure they would never be banned
What was the population in Upper Canada in 1835 and why was this a problem?
350,000, so small that the government struggled to pay for the large infrastructure projects of the time
How was the UC legislative assembly side-stepped?
In paying for infrastructure, instead of raising taxes through the assembly (where they might be able to direct funds more) the councils sold land to the Canada Company
Who was the father of responsible government?
Robert Baldwin
What was the land tenure system in Lower Canada?
Basically feudal, with seigneurs handing out land to habitants
What percentage of LC lived by the seigneurial system and why?
75-80% since the government protected the habitants with their contracts
What did the 1774 Quebec Act allow?
French land tenure, civil law, and also free practise of Catholicism
What was the main issue in the rules of the assemblies in LC?
The language was English, yet the French were fiercely protective of their culture
How did the Chateau Clique grow?
Governors usually appointed those loyal to the crown to the councils
What occurred in LC during 1820s?
Rural stagnation blamed on seigneurial system, calls for united (British majority therefore) Canada which were rejected harshly by French, so dropped, leaving a foul taste in the French populations mouths
Who were the patriotes?
Pro-seigneurial/French law educated professionals of LC, who wish to protect French culture with some revolutionary undertones
What occurred in LC between 1820-28?
Lord Dalhousie was Governor, who stopped a patriote leader of the legislative assembly coming into power as speaking, causing the civil list problems, before being booted by London for unpopularity (87,000 signed a petition for his removal)
What occurred in the UK in 1828?
A Lower Canadian delegation arrived with complaints, and as a result the Canada Committee was set up
What did the Canada Committee offer as a solution in 1829?
Amendments to 1791 Constitution, and that the governor manages it well - no mechanism for change
What occurred in the UK in 1830?
Whig government came to power with aim to reform Canada, but became bogged down in Great Reform Act before reaching it
What was passed in 1831?
Howick Act which gave the assemblies the revenues from duties, but still the civil list did not pass
What were the 4 reasons for revolt in Upper Canada?
Radicalism within Reform Party, Emigration from Britain, Governing of province and 1836 election
Who was the main radical voice of the Reform Party and why was he effective?
William Lyon Mackenzie, who’s newspaper had been attacked by sons of the Family Compact in 1826 aiding his cause as a persecuted man
Where was emigration from in the 1830s and why did it irritate Upper Canada?
The impoverished, disease ridden Irish, aided by the tax swallowing Ops Township Scheme were blamed for cholera epidemics in 1832 and 1834
Who was Governor of Upper Canada 1828-35?
Sir John Colbourne
What 3 things did Colbourne get wrong?
Bypassed legislative assembly using tax revenues for Civil List, built Prep Schools not a university, and used clergy reserve money to fund Anglican churches
Who was Governor of Upper Canada 1835-38?
Sir Francis Bond Head
What did Francis Head do wrong?
Sacked moderates in executive council when they disagreed with him, and campaigned against Reformers in 1836, a break from tradition
What did Head do post-1836 election?
Extended the life of the current legislature and prevented those in the assembly to be executive councillors as well, aiding the Family Compact
What occurred after the 1838 election in UC?
Mackenzie set up the Committee of Correspondence and began drilling men
What sparked rebellion in UC?
Patriote imprisonment and LC rebellion
How many men were in the rebellion of UC and where were they?
1,000 men in Toronto (Montgomery’s Tavern)
What were the general events of rebellion in UC?
With the intent on damaging Family Compact houses, the 1000 men marched, met gunfire on the same street they started on, most fled, 3 days later reinforcements from up the river by steamboat scattered them, ended up fighting in Brantford then escape to Niagara island
What was the result of rebellion in UC?
Only pro-British voices were heard, the rest went to America, were hanged or kept quiet - some understanding of failure of Family Compact
Who led to patriotes?
Louis-Joseph Papineau, from a seigneurial family, who led the legislative assembly though the 1830s, led the Patriot Party
What was Papineau’s motivation/desires?
French nationalism, retention of seigneurial system, desire for true democracy ie British system - 92 resolutions
What occurred in 1832 in LC?
General election led to shots being fired into crowd - two men shot - by military due to tensions