assembly, was appointed in every province. Until important reforms. The main changes, however, A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANADA 1848, when London agreed to grant responsible would be imposed by the London authorities 1763-1860 government to the Province of Canada, the when they adopted many of the Executive Council was answerable to London recommendations in the report drafted by Lord rather than to the House of Assembly. Durham after the rebellions of 1837 and 1838 in Upper Canada (Ontario) In 1791, Upper Canada had a population of about Upper and Lower Canada. One such 10 000 people. Most inhabitants were United recommendation led to the Act of Union of 1841, Empire Loyalists who profited substantially from which marked the end of Upper Canada and the From the Constitutional Act (1791) to the London's generosity. During the War of beginning of a new political era, that of United Act of Union Independence (1776-1783), subjects who wished Canada. (1841) to remain loyal to England left what would later become the United States to settle in Nova Scotia, The 1837 Rebellions Upper Canada, the New Brunswick and the Province of Quebec precursor of modern- (modern-day Quebec and Ontario). At that time, In Upper Canada (as in Lower Canada), part of the day Ontario, was Upper Canada also had significant Francophone population was critical of how the political elite created by the and Aboriginal populations. governed the colony. Matters of contention Constitutional Act of included political patronage, policies on 1791, which divided The first lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, education, the economy and land grants the former Province John Graves Simcoe, played an important role in (particularly clergy reserves) and the favouritism of Quebec into two establishing Upper Canadian society. He wanted shown to the Anglican Church. parts: Upper Canada to model the new territory on his native England The reformers took control of the House of and Lower Canada. and institute Anglicanism as the state religion. The Assembly in 1828 and in 1834, but were unable to These two provinces American invasion of Canada during the War of effect the desired changes. The arrival of were joined once 1812 was also crucial to defining the Upper Lieutenant-Governor Francis Bond Head, meant to again to form the Canadian identity. By taking up arms against the win over the reformers, did not achieve the new republic, the former American settlers -- Province of Canada in expected outcome. Head adopted a who made up a large part of Upper Canada's 1840 and were then Copyright/Source confrontational attitude and helped elect referred to as Canada population -- strengthened their existing ties to Conservatives. Moderate reformers like Robert West (Upper Canada, or Ontario) and Canada East England. Baldwin were defeated as a result. This played in (Lower Canada, or Quebec). The terms "Upper The Family Compact that had governed the favour of William Lyon Mackenzie and his more Canada" and "Lower Canada," in the Canadian province since the early 19th century became a radical approach. historical context, therefore refer to the period point of growing dissension in the 1820s. The between 1791 and 1841. Much of the heritage of contention culminated in the 1837 rebellions, led Initially, W. L. Mackenzie wanted to pressure the the Ontario we know today can be traced to this by William Lyon Mackenzie. Although they failed, colonial authorities and government by urging a Upper Canada period. the rebellions proved that the general population boycott of imported goods, encouraging political did not share the Family Compact's vision of unions and associating with reformers from Lower The Constitutional Act of 1791 was London's society. Influential men such as Robert Baldwin Canada. In late summer 1837, however, he answer to the American Revolution with regard to and Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine -- who led a abandoned non-violent tactics and turned the administration of its North American colonies. coalition government on two separate occasions increasingly toward armed revolt. In early A lieutenant-governor, assisted by an executive (1841-43 and 1848-51) in the decade following the December 1837, W. L. Mackenzie and nearly 1000 council, a legislative council and a house of Act of Union of 1841 -- introduced a number of men met at Montgomery's Tavern in Toronto to attempt to overthrow the government. Between America. The Durham Report was therefore not a Sydenham's policy of blocking Executive Council 200 and 300 volunteers and militiamen, whom the threat to Upper Canada, quite the contrary. It was access to Francophones, Baldwin and La Fontaine government had won over to its cause, drove back thus not surprising that Upper Canada should formed the country's first coalition government. the rebels. Three days later, between 1000 and welcome the report, while it met with an angry This brief period of relative independence in 1500 Loyalists marched on the tavern and forced outcry by the French-speaking population, United Canada ended when Governor Bagot died the rebels to flee. The rebellion was almost over. primarily in Lower Canada. in 1843 and was replaced by Charles Metcalfe. A few skirmishes broke out in 1838, but none Governor Metcalfe firmly intended to put the posed much threat to the government. The people of Lower Canada protested against the reformers in their place, making co-operation Durham Report's drastic measures so loudly that between the two halves of the colony more The Durham Report and the Act of Union in 1848, seven years after the Act of Union came difficult. into effect, London was forced to recognize and Lord Durham was sent to Canada to report on the accept the use of French. The Durham Report also But Baldwin and La Fontaine were again called to reasons for the rebellions in Upper and Lower created a new political class -- moderate form a coalition government from 1848 to 1851. Canada. reformers who believed in co-operation between The "Great Ministry," as it was called, would His report contained three main Canada's two main groups at the time. In Canada contribute substantially to the legal and municipal recommendations: that responsible government West, there would be Robert Baldwin; in Canada system in United Canada. The coalition be granted to the British North American colonies; East, there would be Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine. government also adopted a number of important that Upper and Lower Canada be amalgamated to reforms that would change the colony's political form a united Province of Canada; and that French The Baldwin-La Fontaine Governments and social landscape. Canadians be assimilated. He also openly criticized the political cliques that controlled government In the election of 1841, the first under the Union, Ministerial Responsibility power in both colonies. London did what it could to favour Conservative candidates. In Canada West, 26 reformist The evolution of the political system introduced The implications of the Durham Report were much members were elected under Robert Baldwin; in by the Act of Union culminated in the granting of different for Upper Canada than for Lower Canada East, only seven true reform members responsible government to the North American Canada. Lord Durham wanted to re-establish were elected under Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine. colonies in 1848. From then on, ministers would peace in the colonies, and so recommended a Both politicians understood that they would have need the confidence of the House of Assembly or political union. He believed this peace could best to join forces to counter London's attempts to would have to resign. This concession by London, be achieved by ensuring a loyal English majority in dictate the colony's affairs. The arrangement a great step toward parliamentary democracy, British North America, by anglicizing French offered advantages to both parties. Baldwin was partly responsible for the instability that Canadians, and by granting responsible wanted real power for the House of Assembly. marked Canadian political history in the ten years government. By making English the only official La Fontaine believed he must abandon the before Confederation in 1867. language of the Parliament of United Canada, the concept of a French state in America and play Act of Union afforded protection to Upper British politics to ensure the survival of French Canadian culture. By giving Upper Canada as many Canadians in British North America. Lower Canada (Quebec) parliamentary representatives as the more populous Lower Canada, the Act of Union Baldwin and La Fontaine worked together to make Conquest and a Fledgling Regime favoured Upper Canadian political life. By sure both became members of the House of recommending the assimilation of French Assembly and the Executive Council. Favoured by After the famous battle between the French and Canadians, the Durham Report bolstered the the presence of Governor Charles Bagot, who the English on the Plains of Abraham of Quebec in presence of English-speaking Canadians in broke with former Governor General Lord 1759, and the capitulation of Montreal by the French in September 1760, the French regime was replaced by an English one. This period is now The American Declaration of Independence had The new constitution did not offer any solutions called the "Conquest." the effect of bringing to Canada a large number of for resolving conflicts that could arise between the The Conquest led to an entirely new regime. New Loyalists -- Americans who chose to flee the House of Assembly and the Executive Council. France became a British colony, just like Nova United States to remain loyal to the King and the Therefore, the Act of 1791 brought the Scotia and New Brunswick. The British took Empire. They came to the northern British parliamentary system to Lower Canada, but it control over all the land and established their way colonies: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and clearly did not bring democracy.