Life in Upper & Lower
Canada 1815-1855
Rebellions of Upper & Lower Canada
Geography of Upper and
Lower Canada
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Borders what is now New Brunswick; northeast
area of United States; & Great lakes
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Upper Canada- Southern Ontario
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Lower Canada- Quebec and Newfoundland
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Upper and Lower Canada both British Colonies
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Lower Canada mainly French speaking
“Canadiens”
Upper Canada mainly English speaking people
Map of Upper & Lower
Canada
4 Main Groups in Lower
Canada:
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Habitant: (French) tenant farmer; rent
land; poor
Seigneur: (French) land owner; wealthy
and powerful
Merchant: (English) business owner; fur &
timber industry; wealthy and powerful
Professionals: (French & English) doctors,
lawyers, etc.; middle class; seeking
democracy
Louis-Joseph Papineau
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Lower Canada wealthy seigneur and member of the
Legislative Assembly
Had strong support of French land owning and political
elite
Conservative- favored doing things traditional & slow way
Served as officer in militia by defending British North
America from Americans during war of 1812
Elected speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Lower
Canada
Became leader of the Parti Canadien political party
Government in Lower
Canada
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Governor-British appointed
Legislative Council- English-speaking merchants and
seigneurs; friends of Governor; appointed not elected;
veto power
Legislative Assembly voted by citizens
Two political parties dominated- Chateau Clique, Parti
Canadien (Parti Patriote)
Chateau Clique- Wealthy British and French who supported
British rule
Parti Canadien- Wealthy and poor French- early
separatists
Government in Upper & Lower
Canada- Constitutional Act, 1791
Unrest in Lower Canada
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British merchants wanted to increase taxes for canals,
harbors and roads for merchant use- few roads were built
to help farmers
Increased immigration from Great Britain began to
threaten French culture and language
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1832, immigrant ship brought disease cholera, killed 5500
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Legislative assembly(French-speaking) hard to make laws
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1836, crops failed, Canadians face starvation
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1837, economic depression, English merchants blamed
The Armed Rebellion In
Lower Canada
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British Army versus Patriote Army (Rebels)
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Began on November 23, 1837 at St. Denis; rebel victory
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Rebels built a fortress at St. Charles to fight the British
but lost there and later at Saint-Eustache – Baker's Farm
– Lacolle – Odelltown & Beauharnois
Pappineau 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
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Life in towns was easier
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Town were hubs
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Town supplied a people with basic service
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Transportation mostly walking
Government of upper
Canada
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Lieutenant(British appointed) highest ranking
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Legislative and Executive Council 2nd highest
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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
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 -
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
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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
John George Lambton (Lord Durham) sent to Quebec City as
governor general.
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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.
Bibliography
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Unknown author.The Canadas.
Retrieved May 30, 2007 from the
internet:http://www.answers.com/to
pic/the-canadas
Canada Revisited textbook-pages
130-174