1. Life in Upper Canada

2. Canada: A British Colony
The Constitution Act of divided the former French colony of Quebec into 2new colonies of Upper and Lower Canada
British now was in control of the following colonies
Upper Canada
Lower Canada
Rupert’s Land
The Maritimes

3. The Man in Charge Governor John Graves Simcoe
Wanted to remake British society
An aristocrat who believed that the upper class could and should provide government, military, and religious leadership
Did not believe that the population could govern itself

4. Legal System in Upper Canada
The Anglican Church had authority over marriage and education
only Anglican ministers can perform marriages
No public school, so wealthy families hired Anglican tutors
Followed British Common Law
judges apply legal precedents to the facts before them.
A decision of the highest civil appeal court is binding on every other court.

5. Limiting Democracy
The British limited democratic concepts in its colonies out of fear of revolution
Believed that American colonies had been given too much freedom prior to the revolution
Did not allow any grassroots democratic movements like town meetings

6. Population of Upper Canada
Fairly small population compared to the US
of European Origin
in total in British colonies compared to 6 million in US

7. Immigration to Upper Canada
Immigration from Britain was low during the late 18th and early 19th centuries partially due to the wars with Napoleon
Few people could emigrate
Upper Canada seemed to wild for aristocrats

8. Americans Moving In Majority of immigration came from the US
Little good land in eastern US
Ohio River Valley area in conflict with First Nations
Upper Canada offered land grants to settlers

9. Ending Slavery in Upper Canada
In 1793, Simcoe insisted that the legislature pass a law against slavery
Upper Canada’s Abolition Act of 1793 did not end slavery in the colony
But it did
Free slaves over 25
Made it illegal to bring new slaves into the colony

10. Lifestyles of Upper Canada
Life was very harsh
Settlers had to clear their land to make it suitable for farming
Cutting down trees, clearing boulders, removing tree stumps by hand
Took years to accomplish
People tended to have large families
Lots of children to work on the farm, not all survived

11. Lifestyles of Upper Canada
Settler homes were small
No running water, no electricity, no indoor toilet
Light from candles made from animal fat
Bedtime when it got dark
Homes were isolated
Roads were terrible and there were few
Church and Crown lands meant that there were large distances between homes