Governed by a London lieutenant governor , but reliant on the tax-raising powers of a locally elected legislative assembly
Appointed council exercised executive power in addition to LG, these members were chosen and could be removed by LG
Family Compact maintained control of the council, exercising power largely for their own benefit
Legislative assembly of 16 that was elected by landowners, but laws had to be approved by council
FC unified by their loyalist tradition, devotion to the Anglican Church and reluctance to change constitution if it weakens them
UC - landownership
Based on British freehold tenure
Most land held by the Crown and judged to be free to settlers
British did recognise indigenous Canadians as having claimed the land, so they were paid and treaties were signed to give Crown the land
1/7 land designated as clergy reserves
Because of the control of the FC, Britain thought funding these lands would increase loyalty, but majority of population weren't Anglican
UC tensions - economic
Lacked infrastructure and capital investment
Very small population to raise revenues
Investment in canals and roads meant government was poor
Instead of raising taxes, they sold land to the Canada Company
This decision sidestepped the assembly and denied them the opportunity to influence spending within the province
Turns out these funds being raised were spent on paying to salaries of the officials
UC tensions - Family Compact
Calls for a 'responsible and cheap government' due to FC's influence on the system
Lawyer Robert Baldwin was the 'father of responsible government'
He wrote to Lord Glenelg, the colonial secretary, in 1836 and suggested a constitutional reform to establish responsible government where decisions decided by voting in Canada rather than London
LC - landownership
He been colonised by pre-revolutionary France
Land was granted to a seigneur (landlord of great estate) who would then grant the land to tenants for rent
Tenants under the seigneurial system were protected by contracts and the relationship between them and the seigneur was overseen by state
75 - 80% of rural population lived in this
LC tensions - racial
Official language of the legislative assembly was English despite LC being principally French speaking
Their language, identity and institutions formed an important political block in the assembly
Influx of British loyalists from America caused racial tension
LC tensions - Chateau Clique
Governors selected members of their exclusive council from the British Loyalists, who were often successful businessmen, creating an English speaking oligarchy called the CC
French speaking population dominated legislative assembly and were quick to oppose CC when they threatened their identity
LC tensions - uniting the Canadas
1820s saw rural stagnation and hardship for tenants of seigneurial estates
English businessmen elite had no hesitation in attributing the economic problems of the province to the 'backwardness' of French colonists
Their solution was an act in 1922 that would unite LC and UC
French Canadians mobilised opposition as this would of resulted in an English speaking majority
Idea dropped as it was deemed to not be worth the trouble
Led to formation of Patriotes
LC tensions - Lord Dalhousie
Governor from 1820 - 1828
By the time he was recalled to London, the assembly were refusing to vote money for the payment of officials
He discontinued the elected assembly in 1827 because he refused to accept the Patriote leader as speaker of the house
Petition signed by 87,000 ended his governorship as London was highly sensitive to colonial unrest
Causes of UC revolt - radical reformers
Led by Robert Baldwin and his father, who from 1828 had been developing their definition or responsible government and trying to present their ideas to colonial secretary to no success
During 1837 Rebellion, Robert was in London protesting his removal from executive council, led by William Lyon Mackenzie
Mackenzie ran a newspaper that had been attacked by sons of the Family Compact in 1826
Led to his persecution, also aided his rep as a reformer
Causes of UC revolt - emigration into the province
1830s Irish immigration gave Irish character to East Toronto and older loyalist settlements
Stereotype that all Irish were feckless, criminally inclined and carried disease
Poor immigrants assisted by Ops Township Scheme with temporary shelters and cheep supplies
Reforms objected this due to lack of consultation with legislative assembly
Family Compact objected as they threatened status quo
Immigration led to cholera epidemics of 1832 and 1834
Causes of UC revolt - actions of the lieutenant governor Colborne
Bypassed the legislative assembly by using tax revenues to pay official's salaries
Set up a classic English preparatory school using public funding
Allocated income reserves to support 44 Anglican parishes across the province in an attempt to establish firmer Church presence
Led to his removal from his political position and his appointment as military commander-in-chief
Causes of UC revolt - actions of the lieutenant governor Head
Had no previous colonial experience
Initially invited some moderates onto the executive committee
But then forced them out from office when they complained that they had not been consulted for issues
Prompted the 1836 election, in which he successfully removed the Reformers from the legislative assembly
Led to rebellion as now Reformers had no over choice to influence decisions
Causes of UC revolt - the 1836 election
Introduced a law extending the session of the legislative so that a election wouldn't happen when King William IV died
Introduced a law preventing members of the legislative from serving as executive councillors, an obvious attempt to retain full control from the Family Compact
Under Mackenzie's leadership, Reformers saw rebellion as the only way to regain influence in decisions
Events of UC revolt - 1
Dec 1837 - following news of Patriote leader's arrest in LC, M gathers 1000American farmers for 4 days at Montgomery's tavern on Yonge Street in Toronto, with the general plan to attack FC property
5 Dec - rebels march south on Yonge Street and exchange gunfire with small loyalist group, majority of rebels flee
8 Dec - remaining rebels flee after loyalists reinforcements arrive on steamboat, there was a smaller unsuccessful confrontation in Brantford
Events of UC revolt - 2
M and other rebels flee to Navy Island in the Niagara River, where he declared a provisional state
Population grows to 600 with promises of 300 acres of land
Their supply ship, the American steamerCaroline, is burned down
13 Jan 1838 - M flees Island under militia bombardment
He's captured by US military and sentenced to 18 months for violating neutrality laws
Results of UC revolt
Rebels and sympathisers left the province for America
Those who stayed were arrested and 2 were hanged
Loyalty to Britain increased
Britain certain that revolt was due to actions of FC over a course of many years and that the governance must change
Lord Durham dispatched to find a solution
Causes of LC revolt - Papineau
Under his leadership, the assembly refused to accept any of the compromises offered by the British regarding control of finances in the province and he was against the Civil List to pay the salaries of officials
Influenced by the more radical mood of the times
Feb 1834 - 92 Resolutions published by the Patriotes demanding constitutional change, including elective councils and seeking to protect French Canadian identity
Causes of LC revolt - social issues
Immigrants brought a cholera outbreak in 1832
Military firing on a crowd in 1832 election and 2 men were shot
By 1834, the more radical wing of the Patriot Party was emerging as a stronger voice in the assembly and in the province as a whole
Causes of LC revolt - economic
British struggling to pay the salaries of officials due to the assembly, led by Papineau, was denying their proposals for shared economic control of the province
Habitants suffered agricultural hardship through the 1830s
Causes of LC revolt - the Gosford mission
Commission of inquiry led by Lord Gosford arrives in Canada in 1835
Sir Francis Head disclosed the full terms of the inquiry to the assembly in Jan 1836
Caused outrage as it showed the British had no intention of engaging in the kind of constitutional reform that the Patriotes wanted
10 Russell Resolutions passed by House of Commons on 6 March 1937
This rejected constitutional reform and allowed the governor to use public funds without assembly's consent
Led to outrage, G responded by increasing military and closing banks on 18 May
Events of LC revolt - 1
Sept - Oct 1837 - Society of the Sons of Liberty have a meeting of 500 in Montreal
26 Oct - Confederation of the Six Countries meet at St-Charles, Papineau speaks against the rebellion but Nelson declares 'the time has come to melt our spoons into bullets' and becomes new voice of the Patriotes
6 Nov - street fight between the Society and the British destroys the offices of a pro-British newspaper called The Vindicator
10 Nov - British cavalry and Patriote militia exchange shots in Montreal
Events of LC revolt - 2
16 Nov - rebels ambush military band sent to arrest Patriote leaders, Gosford warrants arrest of the leaders on the charge of treason
23 Nov - surprise victory for Patriotes at the village of St Denis
25 Nov - British general Wetherall defeats Patriote forces at St-Charles
29 Nov - Wetherall enters Montreal with 30 prisoners
5 Dec - martial law declared
14 Dec - 100 Patriotes shot while fleeing from burning church in St Eustache
Events of LC revolt - 3
December 1837 - January 1838 - Gosford controls situation and Patriotes are either prisoners or have fled to America
British burn houses of known Patriotes and those believed to have sheltered them
Nov 1838 - Durham's departure is followed by raids along the border by exiled Patriotes, aided by Americans acting independently of their government in a 'Second Rebellion'
Raids are unsuccessful
Results of LC revolt
500 Patriotes in Montreal jails
10 Feb 1838 - British passed an act suspending the 1791 Constitution of LC and Gosford was empowered to run province with special appointed members
27 April 1838 - he revokes martial law in Montreal
London now accepted that a new constitutional settlement must be found for the province but were aware of the needs of British settlers
Lord Durham as an aristocrat
Pranced through the streets on his arrival dressed in full silver and white regalia
Visitors to the governor's residence were treated to gold and silver plates and served vintage champaign
Nicknamed 'Radical Jack' and 'Jog Along Jack' after saying a man might jog along very comfortably on £40,000 a year
Was one of the last Whig grandees
Lord Durham as high commissioner
His report was the first official definition of responsible self-government in British politics
Stabilised political situation in the short term
Popular due to his fierce military response to revolts
Publicly discounted the views of those who had previous power
Removed before he had an opportunity to disappoint his followers
Lord Durham's early career
Nicknamed 'Radical Jack' due to his avocation of utilising whatever means necessary to pass the Reform Act
Initially turned down opportunity to help Canada but changed his mind after the revolts and a personal appeal from the queen
Faced criticism for choosing Wakefield as an advisor as he had served 3 years for an attempted abduction of a 15-year-old from boarding school
Also criticised for choosing Turton, as his wife divorced him for cheating with her sister
Lord Durham's time in Canada
Was only there for 4.5 months before he resigned
Published his report on 11 February 1839
Choice of advisors led to lack of support from Melbourne government, meant he was forced to resign
Established Canada's first police force
Made good relations with USA over the matter of rebels and troublemakers seeking re-entry
Freed most political prisoners
Lord Durham's resignation
Resigned because he was not prepared to submit to censure from London over his actions in sending the political prisoners to Bermuda
Also resigned because he was annoyed with Melbourne's criticisms of his choice of advisors when he believed he had free reign over the matter
Influence of Wakefield and Buller on the Durham Report
'Wakefield thought it, Buller wrote and Durham signed' - Lord Brougham
Both were involved in interviewing a wide spectrum of Canadian society, so they served as a conduit for ideas, some of which found their way into the final report
Influence of Buller on Durham Report
Stayed behind in Canada to finish work of committees and draft report
Worked on final draft in London with Durham
Official commissioner over crown lands
Wakefield did more work
Influence of Wakefield on the Durham Report
Unofficially supported Buller as commissioner of crown lands
Concluded that the system of free land grants was a core issue and developed the theory of systematic colonisation
Unpaid advisor and secretary to Durham and Buller
Strong advocate for union of the provinces
Content of the Durham Report
The unification of the Canadas - saw the majority of issues in LC as fault of the French Canadians and that the best way to fix this was to turn them into the minority
Quebec Act - would grant freedom to French Canadians by improving the economic position of the habitants
Responsible Self Government - legislative assembly would be elected but the majority party would hold power through cabinet government. The governor of the provenance would therefore be a titular figure only
Results of the Durham Report
United Canadas idea introduced to parliament in May 1839
UC voted cheerfully for the union due to their debt being shared and knowledge that British would be the majority
The suspension of LC assembly since 1838 allowed for the acceptance of the union despite opposition
Act of Union proclaimed on 10th February 1841 in Montreal
Long-term effects of the Durham Report
Self Government to all Canadian colonies from 1848 - 1855
Defined Self Government which was a concept implemented in other colonies like Australia
Intellectual basis for Britain and it's colonies for next 20 years
Criticisms of the Durham Report
Did not mention indigenous population in land distribution
Report not fully implemented until 1847
Durham himself resigned after only 4.5 months in office
Issues of emigration and health care not addressed
Radical voices like Mackenzie and Papineau were ignored
Only applied to white settler colonies and not Jamaica or India
Treatment of French Canadians and absorption of LC with the intention of ridding their culture