Life in Upper & Lower Canada WGSS SS10 Mr. Salter

British North America What are the colonies / land holdings of British North America? Upper Canada – English By great lakes/ St. Lawrence Forest being cleared/ settlement growing Lower Canada – French (mainly) Down river - St. Lawrence Montreal is thriving, attracts Scottish and American Settlers PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia Maritimes thriving economy in fish/ forestry/shipbuilding HBC: fur trade/land around Hudson’s Bay (Can. shield) Competition in West is NWC (North West Company) out of Montreal

Life in Upper Canada How was the land used in each colony? What was life like in the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada? Aboriginals, Fur traders, Colonists (of many classes and cultures) compete for land Do you make a farm with roads and towns, or hunt for beavers, or recognize Native land claims? Agriculture is the center of all life/ economy/ culture Close communities/ depend on neighbours Church is social event Barter economy (pay with goods) Learn from Natives (survival/ farming)

Class System What was the social structure? (class system) Have class system – upper (aristocracy), middle (merchants) and lower (farmers) Top in colony is the “Family Compact” (Upper) & “Chateau Clique” (Lower) Executive council (government) and a social clique Cheap labour not available – many upper class have to work the land too Large estates and tenant farms (like serfdom) Many lower class want the American style democratic classless system Will lead to tension/ violence

Land: the most important part Who owns the land? Aboriginals have original claim, and try to sign treaties to prevent Britain from selling it all away HBC wants exclusive rights, but colonies are growing Upper class Land speculators and absentee landlords own land and want to have colonists be tenant farmers Family Compact owns most of the land (many angry at them) Colonists feel betrayed – want to own their own land 2/7 of all land is church or crown reserve Undeveloped and in the way (no roads) Creates anger – prime land is wasted

Women What was it like for women in Upper Canada? Women were married(very few single) Marriage is essential for status - get social status of husband (no divorce) Could not own property or work outside the home Widows must rely on Friends/ relatives Hard work – cooking washing, sewing, preserve food, make candles and soap, and help with planting , harvesting, Large families – childbirth was dangerous (many die due to unsanitary conditions and no medical care) Live in small, crowded, unsanitary cabins

Anger in Upper and Lower Canada Causes of the 1837 rebellions

Types of Government What is representative government? What is Responsible Government?

Types of Government What is representative government? What is Responsible Government? Government is elected by voters – represents the people

Types of Government What is representative government? What is Responsible Government? Government is elected by voters – represents the people Voters have the power to vote out/ remove a government that does not please them (responsible to the people)

Types of Government What is representative government? What is Responsible Government? What did the Colonies have? Government is elected by voters – represents the people Voters have the power to vote out/ remove a government that does not please them (responsible to the people) Run by Britain/ Governor and small group of aristocrats (oligarchy)

Types of Government What is an oligarchy? Who are the oligarchies in Upper and Lower Canada? Are the Colonies Democratic? Rule (governance) by a small, select group of people Upper Canada: Family Compact Lower Canada: Chateau Clique Colonies are NOT democratic – Government is not representative or responsible

Types of Government What is the government in both colonies? Governor (represents Britain) Executive Legislative Council Council (Both councils appointed by Governor – all members are part of the Family compact or the Chateau Clique) Legislative Assembly (elected by Male Property owners in colony)

Type of Government Why is this colonial government not democratic? Governor and his councils (Family Compact/ Chateau clique) could Veto all laws passed in Elected legislative assembly (and often did)

Upper Canada What did the Family Compact Veto? What are the Colonists angry about? Who is Robert Gourlay? Roads/ development in crown and church land Ignore land speculation / problems with absentee landlords No land No roads (crown/ clergy land in the way) Family Compact has all the power Land agent Created petition for change in policy Arrested and deported Unifies opposition

Upper Canada Who is William Lyon Mackenzie? Leader of protest/ for reform Newspaper: “Colonial Advocate” prints articles against gov. and family compact When Family Compact ransacked his office he sued Elected to Legislative Assembly 1828 Leader of Reform/ rebellion

Lower Canada What issues anger Lower Canada? Discrimination against the French by the English No Representation in Government High Taxes

Lower Canada Who were the Chateau Clique? What is the problem with the Chateau Clique? Ruling Oligarchy – controls business and government All English Speaking/ British English/ protestant Minority (less than ¼ of pop.) has all the political/ economic power in a French Catholic colony Feel like Church and Seigneurs sold out to English Angry that Legislative Assembly is powerless (Veto power of councils/ Governor like upper Canada) and taxes are high

Lower Canada What Land Problems does Lower Canada face? How does Nationalism contribute to anger in Lower Canada? Unlike Upper: No land speculators Settled for 200 years = land less fertile/ crops fail Can only feed families Import Wheat from Upper Canada = Economic deficit/ failure Alternative (forestry) restricted by Seigneurs Want to protect language/ religion/ culture form British rule Fear assimilation through English immigration (become outnumbered)

Lower Canada What events anger the French? 1822: -church / seigneurs attempt to Unite Upper and Lower Canada and make English official Language Fails but results in Anger and Betrayal 1832: Ship brought Cholera to Lower Canada Paranoid – fear Britain is using biological warfare

Lower Canada Who is Louis Joseph Papineau? Who is James Craig? Leader of reform movement lawyer/ Seigneur Speaker of Legislative Assembly in 1815 Leader of Parti Canadien 1807 – British Governor of Lower Canada Anti-French, arrested anyone against the government Closed reform newspaper “Le Canadien”

Lower Canada What are the 92 resolutions? What is the British response to the 92 resolutions? Protesters shot by British soldier in Montreal Papineau creates “92 resolutions” demanding reform (gives to Governor) Reply is 3 years later “10 resolutions” denying rights to Legislative Assembly Leads to Rebellion