Lord Durham Flashcards
When did Lord Durham become Governor General of Canada?
1838
Lord Durham context.
- Was previously ambassador to Russia.
- Essential in Robert Peel passing Reform Act in 1832.
Who were 2 controversial figures Durham included in his mission.
- Gibbon Wakefield
- Thomas Turton
Who was 1 beloved figure included in Durham’s mission?
- Major James MacDonell, Waterloo veteran who led defence of farmhouse at Hougoumont.
What were the 2 key parts of Lord Durham’s Canadian report.
- Upper and Lower Canada should be united.
- Responsible Government should be adopted.
What else was in Lord Duhram’s Canadian Report?
- Immigration from Britain was to be enocuraged to overwhelm French speakers.
- Freedoms under Quebec Act should be rescinded but French culture and religion respected.
- Legislative Assembly elected by the people and should have power.
- Governor General to be figurehead.
- Party with majority of votes in assembly would hold power.
What did Lord Durham do in his short time in Canada?
- Removed old executive.
- Treated French prisoners with respect.
- Guaranteed work for rebels who cooperated.
- Made friendly contact with USA.
- Established Police Force
- Improved land tenure system, land no longer given freely to migrants.
Reaction to Durham’s resignation?
- Lower Canadians were annoyed, burned effigy of main political opponent.
- Felt betrayed and issues public statement saying so.
- No longer danger of Canada ending up like US.
When did Durham resign?
October 1838
When was the Durham report published?
Feburary 1839
Results of Durham report?
- Two colonies united.
- Freedoms granted by Quebec act quashed.
When was the Act of Union?
1840
What was the importance of the Act of Union?
- French speakers became minority in Canada.
Arguments and evidence supporting statement that Durham report succesfully dealt with key problems facing Canada in years 1837-1840.
- Recognised desire for responsible self-government
- Had credibility as resulted from progress where Durham and his advisers consulted a wide range of interest groups.
- Established balance between Canada dealing with domestic issues while foreign and commercial policy determined by British
- Proposed unification of Canada’s, solving French domination in Lower Canada.
Arguments challing statement that Durham report succesfully dealt with key problems facing Canada in the years 1837-1840.
- Report not fully implemented until 1847, Durham resigned after 5 months.
- Canadian liberals, e.g Robert Baldwin, put forward many more radical ideas for responsible self-governemnt that Durham was prepared to listen to
- Report did nothing to deal with indigenous issues.
- Issues of relations with developing US not dealt with in report.
