1. Life in Lower Canada:

2. Outline Groups in Lower Canada Government in Lower Canada
Unrest in Lower Canada

3. 1) Groups in Lower Canada
Habitants
Merchants
Professional Men

4. Habitants French speaking tenant farmers Paid rent to a Seigneur
Worked long narrow farms

5. Habitants Changes occurring
Lifestyle might be threatened by English newcomers
French language
R/C religion
Agricultural way of life
Anxious over scarcity of land and poor economic conditions

6. Habitant Concerns Population growth was filling up available farm land
Rows being split along the St. Lawrence R./Richelieu R./ Ottawa R.
With less land available many looked for work in towns and lumber camps or went to the U.S.

7. Merchants English New to the area in comparison to the Habitants
Rich and Powerful (exporting furs & timber + wheat the Habitants provided)

8. Merchants Desires Focused on area improvements
Harbors
Canals
Roads
All of which they wanted to be paid for by the govt. through taxes

9. Professional Men The newest of the 3 groups
Educated people (doctors & lawyers)

10. Professional Men Goals
Wanted to be the leaders of Lower Canada
Took it upon themselves to speak up for French- Speaking Lower Canada
Dreamt of a separate French Cdn Nation wherein they could then preserve the French Cdn way of life
The French language
R/C religion
Traditional agricultural lifestyle

11. 2. Government in Lower Canada
Chateau Clique
Parti Canadien

12. Chateau Clique Held most the power in Lower Canada
Mostly business people
British background or wealthy French Cdns
Supported the R/C church and the R/C church supported them in return
Favored British system of government & views
Wanted more English to join the current population

13. Parti Canadien (Parti Patriote 1826)
Almost exclusively French
Viewed change as a threat
They appealed to the professional elite
Louis-Joseph Papineau (lawyer) was their leader
From their political position (the legislative assembly) they were able to block the Merchants from their plans
(Harbors/Canals/Roads)

14. Canadien Sentiment
“Not only did the British cast their beggars on the Canadian shore, they must do still more; they must send us, as the final outrage, pestilence and death.” -Parti Patriote-

15. 3. Unrest in Lower Canada Points of view Appeal to Great Britain
Armed rebellion in Lower Canada

16. Points of View Frustration from the Legislative Assembly
Difficulty passing laws
Reason  Legislative Council & Executive Council had different goals and values

17. Appeal to Great Britain
1834-The Legislative Assembly put forth a proposal
Ninety-Two Resolutions
Voted no for taxes until their concerns were addressed

18. Appeal to Great Britain
Lord Gosford came from Great Britain to investigate
Papineau & the Patriotes saw Gosford as a puppet
The merchants were unimpressed with Gosford trying to please the Patriotes
Gosford sent a report to Great Britain responding to the 92 Resolutions

19. Appeal to Great Britain
Great Britain responded with 10 Resolutions
Papineau & Patriotes not happy as Great Britain refused to give the Legislative Assembly power
British immigration still coming in
Even if the Legislative Assembly refused to vote for taxes the Governor would take money to pay his officials anyways

20. Appeal to Great Britain
Shortly after economic depression struck
United States
Great Britain
British North America
Additionally that further infuriated the Canadiens
Armed conflict to come

21. Armed Rebellion in Lower Canada
Papineau & his Canadiens ready to fight
Battle at St. Denis—November 23, 1837—Success
Battle at St. Charles unsuccessful
Papineau fled to the United States & if he was ever to return he would be executed

22. Armed Rebellions in Lower Canada
St. Eustache (biggest battle)
1000 Patriotes
Fought from a church & a couple buildings
Bombarded with canon fire
British lit churches and buildings on fire
70 Patriotes died
The Rebellions proved to be unsuccessful