Lower and Upper Canada Rebellions of 1837-38 Slide 2 Tired of being vetoed and having no say in political decisions The Patriote had sent a list of demands and the British had ignored them and took away the legislative assemeblies tax revenues. Overcrowded---poor land conditions---great debt and discontent. Explain seignuerial system. Slide3 4000 people -called for revolt and declared their independence Developed Plans to overthrow Montreal and then Quebec Collect $$$ Women formed associations Boycotted British goods Slide4 St Denis : Papineau fled to US Patriotes surprised the unprepared British army Saint Charles: 150 patriotes dead Saint Estache: 1500 British against 200 Patriote--led to 70 dead and 120 captured. (Patriote dead were shot or bayoneted while trying to surrender) Government Issued Warrants for Patriote Leaders

Lower Canada Rebellions of 1837-38 Why they occurred……… 1. Wanted Responsible Government 2. Britain didn’t listen 3. French Canadiens were unhappy with: - agricultural conditions - land system

Lower Canada Rebellions of 1837-38 “L’Assemblee des sixcomtes, in 1837”

BATTLES OF LOWER CANADA

Battle of Saint-Denis Was a Patriote Win

Battle of Saint-Charles The Patriotes Lost

Battle of Saint-Eustache The Patriotes Lost

BATTLES OF LOWER CANADA

Upper Canada Rebellions of 1837-38 Why they occurred……… 1. Wanted responsible government 2. Britain didn’t listen 3. Economic recession (hardship) & crop failures 4. Rebellions in Lower Canada provided an opportunity to rebel in UC

Upper Canada Rebellions of 1837-38 Much smaller than Lower Canada’s rebellion Wanted a government like the US Led by William Lyon Mackenzie

Upper Canada Rebellions of 1837-38 Started in Montgomery’s Tavern 500 poorly armed rebels marched down Yonge Street Loyalist force burned down Montgomery’s Tavern and won Mackenzie’s rebels were very poorly organized

Lower and Upper Canada Rebellions of 1837-38

After the LC & UC Rebellions Britain sent out Lord Durham (Radical Jack) to investigate the rebellions He expelled some rebels and investigated UC’s and LC’s discontent Wrote “Durham’s Report” which became an important document in Quebec’s and Canada’s history

Durham’s Report “I expected to find a contest between a government and a people. Instead, I found two nations warring within the bosom of a single state” – Lord Durham He saw the French Canadiens as backwards as they tried to preserve their old way of life He didn’t want to give the French Canadiens power

Split Page Note Taking (Pg163) The Rebellions: Lord Durham and The Durham Report Lord Durham 1 2 Report Recommendations 3 4

The Rebellions: Lord Durham and The Durham Report 1 Sent from Britain to investigate the rebellions 2 Wrote the Durham Report Report Recommendations 1 Made the United Province of Canada (combined UC & LC) 2 Wanted Responsible Government 3 Little British involvement for local affairs 4 The Executive would be chosen by the leader of the Legislative Assembly (not the Governor)

Union Act 1841 AIM: -To unite the two colonies into a single unit, and to give the English-speaking people control of the newly named colony’s -Made the United Province of Canada with two parts: Canada East and Canada West Government -Canada East and Canada West received the same amount of representatives in the Legislative Assembly even though Canada East (Lower Canada) had a much bigger population Executive Councils appointed by the Governor General from the elected Legislative Assembly

The Act of Union (1841) Lower Canada had a bigger population

Please Compare and Contrast the Government Structures of the Constitutional Act of 1791(pg120) and The Act of Union 1841 (pg164)

1846 Britain Changes its Trading Policy Britain adopts Free Trade Before1846: Gave special trading conditions to the colonies After 1846: Gave no special trading conditions to anyone -The colonies weren’t as important to Britain -So they allowed the BNA colonies to have responsible government

Rebellion Losses Bill -Compensate lower Canadians for rebellion loses (property damaged or destroyed) -Heal the relationship between French and English speaking Canadians -Governor General Lord Elgin didn’t like the Bill, but he had to sign it -What do you think loyalist English speaking Canadians thought of the bill?

-Some wanted for the colony to join the United States (Annexation) -English-speaking Tories burned down the Parliament Buildings in Montreal -Some wanted for the colony to join the United States (Annexation)