Transcript 1815-1855 The Peoples Voice is Heard

1815-1855 The Peoples Voice is
Heard
By 8-27 group 2
Geography of Upper and
Lower Canada
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Borders what is now News Brunswick, northeast
area of United States, and Great lakes
 Upper Canada-southern Ontario
 Lower Canada-Quebec and Newfoundland
 Upper and lower Canada both British Colonies
 Lower Canada mainly French speaking Canadiens
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Upper Canada mainly English speaking people
The three groups/ life in lower
Canada
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Habitant (French-speaker) work in life
threaten narrow farms by reducing available
farmland causing young people to move
from Canada to the U.S, they are extreme
poverty cause starvation
 Merchant (English- speaker) rich and
powerful by exporting fur and timber
 Professionals are educated French speaker
(doctor) and dream of separating French
canadian Nation
Louis-Joseph Papineau
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Wealthy seigneur by having strong supporter of French
He favored doing things old way
Served as officer in militia by defending British north America
from Americans during war of 1812
Been elected speaker to legislative assembly of lower Canada
in 1809
As speaker he become leader of party Canadian
After 1825 party Canadian was called parti canadien.
Government in Lower Canada
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Governor British appointed
Legislative council English-speaking merchants and seigneurs
Executive council friends of Governor
Can’t be voted out
Legislative assembly voted by citizens
Two Groups, Chateau Clique, Parti Canadien(Parti Patriote)
Chateau Clique, British who are wealthy or French sided with
British
Parti Canadien, want French way
Unrest in lower Canada
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British merchants want taxes for canals, harbors and roads,
wouldn't help French
Immigration eliminate French culture and language
1832, immigrant ship brought disease cholera, killed 5500
Legislative assembly(French-speaking) hard to make laws
1836 crops failed, Canadians face starvation
1837 economic depression, English merchants blamed
The Armed Rebellion In Lower
Canada
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Began on November 23,1837 at St. Denis. At that battle they
won their first victory
The Rebels, group that rebelled British enforcements and
fought back
Following that battle they built a fortress at St. Charles to fight
the British but lost
Leader fled to U.S
After all the fighting 12 were hung 58 were sent to Australia
and 12 hundred were set free.
Life in upper Canada
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Pioneer homestead start from scratch and
forced native inland
Most habitant were subsistence farmers
meaning they only farm for their family
Life in towns was easier
Town were hubs
Town supplied a people with basic service
Transportation mostly walking
Government of upper Canada
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Lieutenant(British appointed) highest ranking
 Legislative and Executive 2nd highest
 Executive and Legislative dominated government
business and social life
 Legislative assembly (Elected by voters) 3rd highest
 Had little power law has to be approved by council
and Lieutenant
Family Compact
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Small group of powerful people in upper Canada
 As well as friends and supporters known as Tories
 Didn’t want US government to be part of Canadian
government
 Defended tradition
 Believed power should be in the hands of few
capable people (themselves)
 Believed Church of England should have power
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Loyal to Great Britain
Who are the reformers,and what
did they oppose?
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Opposed the power of family compact
 Wanted changes in government and society of upper
Canada
 Divided into moderate and radical groups.
 Robert Gourlay - plan to bring people from Britain to farm in
upper Canada
 William Lyon Mackenzie - 1824, established “the colonial
advocate” a newspaper that spoke out on land problems,
power of family compact and question to who was a upper
Canadian
 Sir Francis Bond Head - Appointed Lieutenant - governor of
Upper Canada in 1835, was Reformer for short period but
rejected
Armed Rebellion of Upper
Canada
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William Lyon Mackenzie turned people against government in
Northern Toronto
Radicals wanted upper Canada like the American government
December 5 Mackenzie led 800 men down Yonge street in
Toronto
In the United States Sir Francis bond head tried to raise an
army to liberate upper Canada giving 120 hectares of land for
whoever would join him
Caught for breaking legal neutrality between Canada and the
US jail 11 months
Aftermath of the rebellion
Lower Canada became even worse
than before the rebellion
 Upper Canada afraid to speak out
because moderate reformers were
branded as rebels
 Prime minister decided to send Lord
Durham as governor general
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Lord Durham And his Report
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John George Lambton (Lord Durham) sent to Quebec City as
governor general.
Suggested solutions for rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada.
Wrote “report on Affairs of British Canada” also known as Durham
report
Named “Radical Jack” in British House of Commons because of
radical policies.
Upper and Lower Canada unite and become one colony, called
United Province of Canada - would unite English speaking people,
would give them majority in gov’t
New colony should have responsible government - Local powers
handled by colony: Imperial powers written, Governor advised by
Executive Council only.
The Act of Union, 1841
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Aim: create single government, establish English as
official language
 Was first step toward Confederation
 Canada was split as Canada West (Upper Canada)
and Canada East (Lower Canada, Ontario)
 In 1847, Lord Elgin became governor
 Executive Council/Cabinet got most power and are
responsible to Legislative Assembly
 Many members formed political parties to achieve
power.
 Nova Scotia:1847, New Brunswick: 1854,
Newfoundland:1855, Prince Edward Island: 1851.
Received responsible gov’t in these years.
Bibliography
Unknown author.The Canadas.
Retrieved May 30, 2007 from the
internet:http://www.answers.com/topic/t
he-canadas
 Canada Revisited textbook-pages 130174
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