The Constitutional Act, 1791

THE CONSTITUTIONAL ACT, 1791

PURPOSE: to give the people of Upper and Lower Canada their own Legislative Assemblies, thereby giving them representative government. The terms of the Quebec Act, 1774 remained in force

AIM:  To provide a government satisfying both British and French  To give the people an elected Legislative Assembly, but limiting the Assembly’s power (trying to prevent them from having too much power so that a revolution like happened in the Thirteen Colonies did not occur)

KEY TERMS: Language: . Upper Canada  English-speaking . Lower Canada  French-speaking

Religion: . Upper Canada  Protestant . Lower Canada  Roman Catholic (as per the Quebec Act)

1 Government: . Governor General of Lower Canada would control AFFAIRS IN BOTH COLONIES . Each colony would have an Executive Council (appointed) to advise the Governor, and a Legislative Council (appointed) to propose laws and approve the laws passed by the assembly . Each colony would have a representative government with an elected LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY (who made laws, collected taxes, served local needs) . The power of this assembly was very limited, councils and governor (appointed officials) could block laws **only male landowners could vote **women with property in Lower Canada could vote until the 1830’s **women in Upper Canada could NOT vote Laws: . Upper Canada  English Civil Law, English Criminal Law . Lower Canada  French Civil Law, English Criminal Law