12/19/2012
Canada’s Road to Confederation
Canadian Rebellions of 1837-38 and The Durham Report of 1939
Learning Goal
• Examine Canada’s path to confederation by looking at the causes and effects of the rebellions of 1837 and the Durham Report.
Loyalty to the British
• Colonial ruling class were extremely conservative and staunchly British – Many claimed royal lineage • French were also loyal because the British statutes preserved French Canadian way of life – Civil laws, education, land holding, Catholicism – French are concerned about assimilation (U.S.)
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Path to Confederation
• Issues were similar to 13 colonies – Creating a federal gov’t with a viable constitution – Several colonies were unwilling to leave British empire – External causes convinced reluctant colonies • Rebellions of 1837, Durham Report • Confederation achieved 1867 • Challenge of nation building were likely with so many regional differences (such as?)
Canada’s Road to Independence
• Evolutionary vs. Revolutionary – Product of party politics, hard fought elections, popular press, parliamentary debate, ministerial conferences, legislation and royal writ (royal order)
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Upper Canada
• Pro-British monarchy, anti-republican • Two groups: farmers lured by fertile land, Unite Empire Loyalists • Tories were forced the leave the United States following the U.S. revolution (property confiscated)
• Pro-British Tories from U.S joined bankers and merchants in Upper Canada to become the conservative elite • Patriarchal, class-conscious, anti-democratic, monarchist • Opposed any changes that undermined its power or beliefs • Enter liberals
Liberals
• Liberals in the elected legislative assembly wanted to end aristocratic and church privilege • Other immigrants from the United States were farmers lured by the fertile land • The immigrants also wanted a more democratic government (republicanism)
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Activity
• Only write down the bold words on the next slide
The problem: Constitution Act of 1791
• British passed it following the U.S. Revolution to establish a colonial government • Each colony had a lieutenant governor advised by a legislative council (executive) and popularly elected legislature (assembly) – What system does this follow? • The assembly had no power over the council – Executive could veto anything – They could only tax, but not decide distribution • Serious problem: council and executive were controlled by the Family Compact
Note-taking and Summarizing
• Use the words to summarize the problem in three or four sentences (or more), include why you think this problem is significant.
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Rebellion of Upper Canada
• The lieutenant governor and council were controlled by the “Family Compact” • Frustrated by this control – governors were basically figureheads • Assembly calls for change: end to political patronage, a public system of education, public land grants to the Anglican Church (clergy reserves) • William Lyon MacKenzie was editor and publisher of the Colonial Advocate, in which radicals found a voice for their frustrations
MacKenzie’s Contributions
Make notes about the contributions of MacKenzie. Journalist Political Rebellion Leader
MacKenzie Becomes a Celebrity
• MacKenzie does not sell many subscriptions and flees to the U.S. to avoid creditors • Tories throw his press into Lake Ontario • He sues when he returns and wins the damages and becomes the unofficial leader of the reformers • MacKenzie and followers establish a committee that sends an emissary to London • They were successful until the Family Compact sends their own committee
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Why is this happening?
• What did MacKenzie’s followers want? – System of responsible government that gave more power to the elected assembly
Mackenzie
• Journalist – Montreal Herald (Montreal, Lower Canada) – Observer (York, Upper Canada – presently Toronto) – Established the Colonial Advocate • Critic of the “Family Compact” – The Constitution • Publication demands reform • After he loses election to assembly • Reprints Common Sense • Calls for constitutional convention (after the king dies, Tory- dominated assembly is technically illegal)
Mackenzie
• Politician – Elected to the assembly in 1829 and 1831 – After a Tory-dominant assembly pushes him out of office, he tries city government – When he is defeated by a Tory for Mayor in 1835, he gets frustrated and looks to armed revolt – He returns to the assembly in 1835 but loses it the following year
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Mackenzie
• Rebellion Leader – Unofficial leader of reformers after triumphs over Tories, which was unsuccessful in quelling his political voice (What did they do, again?) – Ten Resolutions is the last straw • Removed the few means the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada had to control the Executive Council
Evaluating MacKenzie
1. Make a check mark next to the contribution that stands out the most. 2. Draw a star next to the one to which you relate. 3. Rank the contributions in terms of significance to the impact on Canadian confederation.
Note-taking
• Make generalizations about each point • Write them in your notes • You will be using these to summarize the information and analyze for significance
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Lower Canadian Rebellion
• “The Chateau Clique” • French Canadian and British Canadian rebels against the British colonial government
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Upper Canadian Rebellion
• Upper Canadian rebellion was against the oligarchy, the Family Compact • Issues: allocation of land – mostly clergy reserves (unworked lowers value of neighboring farms) • Family Compact
Durham Report
• On the Family Compact … – "a petty, corrupt, insolent Tory clique" (pro British monarchy)
Durham Report
• Proposal 1. to Unite Upper and Lower Canada into a single province to stimulate the economy and create conditions of prosperity as well as to reduce to dominant position of the French, render them increasingly politically powerless and, eventually, assimilate them. 2. to institute Responsible Government so as to remove a major source of friction that had existed between the government and elected officials prior to 1837. 3. to assimilate the French.
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