1. The Rebellions of 1837 Family Compacts The Chateau Clique
Council of Twelve
Lower Canadian Rebellion
Upper Canadian Rebellion

2. After the War of 1812
the War of 1812 stopped what may have been the conquest of North America by the Americans (Manifest Destiny)
Anti-American feelings ran high at least among the English Canadian elite
for French Canadians the struggle was not anti-Americanism but anti-Anglicization
English and Irish immigrants made the French feel they would lose their language, religion and culture, in short assimilation

3. The Colonies of British North America
Upper Canada – Ontario
Lower Canada – Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia (with Cape Breton)
Prince Edward Island
the senior governor was based in Lower Canada
the other colonies had lieutenant governors
Newfoundland was ruled by a separate governor
after the Pemmican Wars in 1816 the NWC and the HBC worked on cooperation
in 1821the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company united to form the Hudson’s Bay Company
with the merger their was a sharp drop in liquor trade with First Nations
Selkirk’s Red River colony struggled on

4. Lead up to Rebellion
Lower Canada lead by Louis-Joseph Papineau (aristocratic)
Upper Canada lead by William Lyon Mackenzie (newspaperman)
reasons were the same: a colonial administration out of touch with its subjects
in Upper Canada political change
in Lower Canada political change with language and culture

5. Political Problems
the root problem was having an elected assembly under the control of an appointed council
Council and assembly could not get along
in Lower Canada the elected assembly were French Canadians and the council were English Canadians

6. Rule by “Clique”
the French Canadians were still able to get French language as the language of government
the elected assemblies could only use their power in a negative manner
they could block the government from making laws but could make no law
British immigrants poured into Lower Canada
Two different types of British immigrants;
1) poor Irish coming to Canada to improve their lives came as “human ballast” on lumber ships
2) middle class Brits looking to becoming richer
Canada settle by extremes middle class and poor
America settled by middle class

7. Chateau Clique a system of “oligarchy” soon developed in the Canada's
Rule by a few wealthy landowners, merchants and government officials
the Chateau Clique in Lower Canada because they spent so much time at the governor’s residence (Chateau St. Louis)
divided on language grounds

8. Family Compact in Upper Canada they were called the Family Compact
Conservatives, members of the Anglican Church, Loyalists and self proclaimed “defenders of 1812”
most often the families were related in one way or another

9. The Council of Twelve
in Nova Scotia these people were called the Council of 12
because they were the 12 men on the non-elected council appointed by the governor
Nova Scotia at this time was the most successful colony in the empire
Halifax had a population of 15,000 an international seaport
Nova Scotia had the most repressive of the colonial governments but it was in Upper and Lower Canada that the rebellions began
in Lower Canada the seigneurial system had failed to protect the elites
by 1830 more than ½ of the estates were in English hands
it was the Molson’s and the McGills that controlled the Clique

10. The Patriote’s opposed to them stood the French Canadian elite
they had gained control of the elected assembly
their radical party was the “parti patriote”
in 1834 the patriote’s drew up a long list of demands called “the 92 Resolutions”

11. Louis-Joseph Papineau
the demands were totally out of control;
1) the elected assembly control of the public revenues ( a public assembly having control of the public’s taxes)
2) they wanted responsible government ( the governor’s council to be chosen from the elected assembly)
the leader of the patriote’s was Louis-Joseph Papineau
Papineau was a French Canadian aristocrat fighting for reforms that would have gotten rid of his special status
of course he also wanted to preserve French Canadian culture

12. Fights in the Streets Lower Canada crops had failed
Immigrants were flooding into the colony (English, Irish)
cholera in the cities killing 1000’s
French Canadian youth “fils de la liberte” fought the English Canadian Doric Club

13. Rebellion
Britain sent an answer to the 92 Resolutions the answer was NO!
Lower Canada had waited for 3 years
Papineau spoke against the British rule Dr. Wolfred Nelson hero of the War of 1812 joined the patriote’s
Revolutionary assembly would meet at St.-Denis

14. Battle of St.-Denis
with the Richelieu Valley in revolt the governor sent British troops and Canadian militia to arrest the leaders
the patriote’s blockaded the streets in St.-Denis and waited for the British
in a few short minutes the British were forced to retreat
the patriote’s had won the battle

15. Battles of St.-Charles and St.-Eustache
two days later in November British troops killed 60 patriote’s and arrested many others
the battle of St.-Charles was over
with the Richelieu rebellion over the governor turned to Montreal
the patriote’s had invaded Oka and stole weapons
at St.-Eustache British troops and Canadian militia killed a 100 patriote’s and set the town on fire

16. Death of a Dream
the rebellion in collapse Dr. Robert Nelson went south to find Papineau
Papineau refused to fight Nelson said “ a man fit only for words, but not of action.”
Nelson gathered troops in America and returned in 1838
when he returned to the States he was arrested

17. Lord Seaton
in 2 years of battles 27 soldiers and 300 French Canadians were killed
“Lord Satan” John Colborne a former Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada put down the revolt
he had no love of the French Canadians he burned estates and arrested 1000’s

18. The Family Compact
the Family Compact fought for Anglican Religion in the schools
the rebels in Upper Canada wanted public schools and a separation of church and state
Moderates like Baldwin and Ryerson fought within the system William Lyon Mackenzie was a fiery newspaperman
Mackenzie a penniless son of a widow
Mackenzie was opposed to the large land grants given to the Anglican Church
Mackenzie attacked the Family Compact over every matter
the Compact even tried to have Mackenzie killed

19. Muckraker
hated by the establishment but loved by the people Mackenzie was a real “muckraker”
Mackenzie was first elected to the assembly in 1828 and kicked out by the rest of the members
he was quickly re-elected and just as quickly expelled
4 times he was expelled by the ruling “Tories”

20. Report on Grievances
in 1834 he became the first mayor of Toronto “Muddy York”
all the while denouncing the ruling families of Upper Canada
Mackenzie roamed Upper Canada getting a list of all the wrongs of the ruling elite
the complaints came in at 500 pages, Upper Canada’s idea of the 92 resolutions
Mackenzie’s was the Report on Grievances
demanded everything from responsible government to a new and lower postage stamp

21. “Galloping Cowboy Bond Head”
along came Francis Bond Head appointed as Lieutenant-Governor
a real Brit with the ideas of an upper class English gentlemen
he did not trust reformers and hated Mackenzie
Reformers in the assembly stopped funds from going to the government
Bond Head called an election

22. A Bought Election Bond Head did not stay out of the election
he campaigned for the Conservatives and used bribes to get votes
only landowners could vote so he gave grants of land to supporters
the bribes and scare tactics worked the Conservatives won a majority
Mackenzie could worse
changed the name of the newspaper from “The Colonial Advocate” to “The Constitution”
came up with the “Toronto Declaration”
inspired by the Lower Canadian Rebellion Mackenzie preacher rebellion

23. Montgomery’s Tavern
more than 600 men gathered at Montgomery's Tavern on Yonge Street
Bond Head had said no reformers would try anything while he was in charge
he had sent the garrison to Montreal to put down the Lower Canadian Rebellion

24. “Bar Room Brawl” Mackenzie’s men and Sheriff Jarvis’s men met
Jarvis's men fired and everyone ran
the battle was over
the next day Bond Head took the militia to Montgomery’s Tavern arrested the rebels and torched the tavern
Mackenzie escaped to America

25. British Values Win Again
Mackenzie raised forces and money in America landed on Navy Island and declared himself president of the Canadian Republic
it was over quickly, more than 1000 rebels captured 20 hanged 800 prisoners
the Judge that hanged them imprison them or sent them to Australia was a member of the Family Compact

26. A New Party the British pardoned both Papineau and Mackenzie
Wolfred Nelson could return and all were re-elected
Papineau and his reformers would set up the “parti rouge” later they would join with English-Canadian reformers and become the Liberal Party
Mackenzie dropped from sight

27. Canadian Democracy is Born!
Rebellions of 1837 as a struggle for democracy and self rule by elected representatives
the rebellions changed both the Canadas and the British Empire
as Britain seen it; if rebellions could happen in the most stable of colonies they could happen any were
“The Rebellions were American Revolutions in miniature, and though at the time they seemed to have failed, they cleared the way for self-government: and just beyond self-government nationhood.”

28. News Flash
when Canada sent a battalion of volunteers to fight in the Spanish Civil War
most call this war the start of World War II, because it was a war of democracy against fascism
the battalion was called the “Mackenzie Papineau Battalion”
or the “MAC PAPS”

29. Fight for Responsible Government
“Radical Jacks Report”
Joseph Howe
British Columbia
Confederation Waltz