Module Four
What was the Constitutional Act of 1791?
Lower Canada-was almost entirelyFrench (160 000ppl)
Upper Canada-was entirely English (20,000ppl)
The Ottawa River would be the boundary between them.
In Lower Canada the French kept their religion, civil laws, and people could work in the admin.
In Upper Canada the Protestants, would use the township system, English
Civil laws.
This new constitution brought a change in Government:
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT…
King
British Parliament
In the Canadas…
Governor-appointed by parliament, commanded forces, in charge of administration, called assemblies into session. Held veto power which meant he could turn down laws.
(theCanada’s each had…)
Lieutenant Governor-Acted as deputy governor
Executive Council-appointed by Governor, advised Governor,
Legislative Council-appointed, approve or reject laws form the assembly
Legislative Assembly-people elected every 4yrs, It had the power to approve or disapprove taxes, they had the right to create laws.
Ordinary people-had a say of government for the first time (not everyone…only land owning men over 21)
-This was the first time people were able to vote and be represented in Canada, representative government was a big step forward.
In Upper Canada the system ran somewhat smooth.
In Lower Canada the Legislative Assembly was French and those above them were English with different interests each side used their powers to the maximum and caused a deadlock.
Faults in Representative Government
-Legislative Assembly had the power to make laws, but whenever they tried to do so they were shut down because the Governor and his Council had veto power.
-The two sides had different interests:
-The wealthy governors & council members thought about investing money in big business+tax property (wanted to build canals and eventually railways for trade)
WHEREAS…
-The legislativeassembly wanted to tax goods, not property and didn’t want to invest in such large projects that wouldn’t benefit them
-This was made worse in Lower Canada where the legislative assembly was French and there were constant issues over language.
THE WAR OF 1812
-The Americans were now free from the British since 1783
-The British were still upset about losing their colonies to the south
-Since their arrival the Loyalists had feared an American invasion.
-Britain was at war with Napoleon (France) in Europe and the Americans thought it was a perfect time to take advantage of this.
-Since they had won their Independence the Americans had been trading with France.
-The British navy wouldn’t allow this so, they seized any American ships suspected of trading with France and forced their crew to serve in the British military.
-This clearly made the Americans furious because they were supposedly neutral, and they wanted revenge.
-The Americansattempted badly organized attacks on Canadian settlements which failed. They also burned some towns such as York (Toronto)
-French Canadian militia, as well as British troops attacked American towns and in fact burned down the white house!
RESULTS of War
-The fighting ends in Stalemate (neither side won)
-Boosts the Canadian economy (Britain needed trade)
-Loyalists and Canadians felt safe under British
-People still feared American Expansion
MODULE 4 CONTINUED
The 1800’s: A Period of Change
Trade changes:
-AsNapoleons armies take control of Europe, Canada stands to benefit.
-Britain is in high demand of trees (timber) to build its great naval fleet, because they were cut off from their normal sources.
-This causes the price of timber to increase 1300%...THE TIMBER TRADE REPLACES THE FUR TRADE AS THE MAIN EXPORT.(~1807)
-Canada also provides the food to feed Britain’s army and gets preferential status(preferred trading partner) for its exports to Britain.
Agriculture changes:
Exhausted infertile soil in Lower Canada became difficult to plant on, also the seigneuries became over populated (many people left to towns)
-In Upper Canada it was different the soil was more fertile, and the new immigrants brought new methods.
Changes in Transportation:
-Because trade was so important to Canada, moving the exports down river as quickly as possible was essential. Merchants wanted the government to build big canal systems to move these goods, around the rapids.
(ex: Lachine, Rideau) These large investments lead to more political conflicts between the councils and assembly.
Steam power is invented by James Watt in 1802, then adapted to ships, and then early trains.
-Steam powered locomotives are built in Britain in 1814, the first ones cross the Atlantic by 1819:
Canada began to build a railway system, the railway opened in 1836. This was a large advancement and competition for steamships.
La Prairie Saint-Jean. ~30km
Train 1 hour
Road 7 hours
Boat 1 day
Population Changes:
By 1815 many poor immigrants were coming from Great Britain (esp. Ireland) in search of a better way of life.
Why?
Most of the fertile land belonged to rich lords, who would rent land to peasants. The Irish with land planted potatoes the staple crop of Ireland because of it was healthy, filling, and a tough crop. The price of rent increased with the Napoleonic wars, making land even tougher to hold onto. Disaster occurred when a blight (bug) destroyed the potato crop and millions of Irish were starving this is known in history as the Irish Potato Famine. The Irish were forced to find somewhere new to live and many came to North America.
Affects on North America:
-This starvation weakened there immune systems and many caught the diseases of typhus, cholera, and scurvy, and brought the disease to North America once the arrived on the ships
-These people arrived in Canada desperate. They were willing to work for very little wages, which increased the competition for employment angering Canadians.
-Most settled in Upper Canada because they spoke English but some settled in Lower Canada because they were Catholic.
-They greatly increased the population on the Canada’s….and made Upper Cdn larger than Lower Cdn.
Lower Canada Upper Canada
1791 150, 000 10, 000
1861 1 152 000 1 396 000
Growing Discontent in Lower Canada
The Constitutional act had established representative government but those who could be elected held no real power, tensions grew!
By the 1830’s two distinct groups have formed
British Party (Chateau Cliques, Tories): Controlled the councils, spent money on public works.
Parti Canadian (PartiPatriote): Controlled the assembly, power over taxes
Issues: The two groups were so different no negotiations could occur.
Some people known as “Patriotes” began speaking of a violent uprising as a solution…a rebellion.
Bad weather lead to bad harvestsfamineDisease
The assembly wanted the councils to be elected.
More and more immigrants were arriving making land/jobs scarce
-The leader of the Patriotes was Louis Joseph Papineau, and in 1834 he wrote 92 Resolutions (a list of the assemblies demands) their main demand was for Responsible Government (for the members of the councils to be selected from the elected assembly) and the government made up by the people would be responsible for its decisions.
This document was sent to the British Government to be looked at…
Lord John Russell responded with the 10 Resolutions(solutions which didn’t solve any of the Patriotes main demands, in fact it gave more power to councils)
This response was taken as an insult and rebellions broke out in both Upper and Lower Canada.
Upper Canada’s Rebellion was lead by William Lyon Mackenzie and quickly put down.
Lower Canada’s Rebellion was lead by Louis Joseph Papineau and after several battles St-Charles, St-Denis (French win), St-Eustache the rebellion was put down.
The Patriotes are supported by the clergy but they don’t have enough support outside Montreal and fail. They were poorly org. and equip.
Results:
12 Patriotes were hanged outside Montreal’s prison as a symbol
58 were exiled to Australia
Lord Durham was sent to the Canada’s to give his opinion on what to do.
Lord Durham’s Recommendations:
- Britain should increase immigration in order to assimilate the French.
- The two Canada’s should be united (eng. now have majority)
- Responsible Government should be granted to eliminate veto power.
These ideas were first rejected by the British Parliament…until:
1840 Act of Union (the 4th constitution)
- Creates the Prov. of Canada consisting of Canada East and West (former upper and lower Canada).
- Canada east and west each had 42 members to its assembly
- Governor still had control and veto power
- Canada east and west would equally pay for Canada’s debts (Cdn West owed 10X).
(Clearly this system was flawed (not responsible) it would be changed in a very short time)
- Conflict occurred very quickly. Responsible Government was adopted slowly:
- 1842: The Prime minister would select members of the executive council from the assembly.
- 1848: Governor Lord Elgin would be the first to not use his veto powers, and allow the Prime minister(majority holder) to have executive powers.
The structure of Responsible Government
-The people would now elect the Leg. Assembly(Parliament)
-The Prime minister(head of the party with the most votes) would
Form the Cabinet (Executive Council) who would propose laws that had to be approved through the assembly.
-The Governor and the Legislative council were still appointed but did not intervene even though pressured to do so(rich eng. merchants).
Economic Changes
-The population is growing both East and West
-Seignurial System abolished in 1854
-Canada creates its own currency 1853
-Communication Improved
-More railways built
Trade with Britain was doing extremely well until:
-Britain ends it’spreferential treatment with Canada in order to explore new markets, they establish Free Trade. (no customs or duties)
Canada needed a new trade alliance and looked to its neighbor:
-Canada signs a Reciprocity treaty with the USA in 1854 (to last 10 yrs). This treaty meant customs/duties between the two countries temp. ceased. Proved advan.For Canadian producers, because the states were such a large market.