Today In History February 13th 1866 – Jesse James holds up his first bank, stealing 15,000 in Missouri 1945– Allied planes bomb Dresden, Germany. It is perceived by some as a war crime. 135,000 die. 1959: First Barbie Doll goes on sale 1970: Man eating tiger kills 48 people 80 km outside of New Delhi.

Rebellion in Lower Canada

TODAYS CLASS Who headed the government in Lower Canada? What were the sources of discontent in Lower Canada Who were the Patriotes? Were they Reformers? Who was Louis-Joseph Papineau? What Were the 92 Resolutions? What Happened in the Rebellion in Lower Canada? What Resulted?

Lower Canada Ruling Elite: The Chateau Clique They were appointed by the Lower Canadian GOVERNOR to be on his councils and were essentially LOYALISTS as well. Had the support of the ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Chateau Clique was comprised of wealthy British landowners, merchants and Army officers. This OLIGARCHY controlled government and business. 80% OF LOWER CANADA IS FRENCH BUT THEY ARE GOVERNED BY BRITISH LAW AND LOYALIST OLIGARCHY. 

Why Were They Mad in Lower Canada? 1. Economic Problems Amount of farmable land was limited. When the population increased, the need for land grew. Wheat crops began to fail and Lower Canada began to import from Upper Canada creating a HUGE MONETARY DEFECIT Farmland available to the people was limited by the Chateau Clique People were starving and the Agricultural economy failed.

Why Were They Mad in Lower Canada? 2. British Rule + French People= Sad Only ¼ of the people in Lower Canada were British Loyalists, yet they were the governing elite. Feelings of French Canadian NATIONALISM (Pride in ones own country or ethnicity) grew in opposition to the Loyalists. Nobody listened to what the French Canadian Elected Assembly proposed as law. British were taking the French Canadians land, business, and controlling their lives. Chateau Clique French Canadians Official language in Lower Canada is English!!

Why Were They Mad in Lower Canada? 3. Being Super Poor and Not Being Able to Pay Taxes! People in Lower Canada were being heavily taxed by their British government but could not afford to pay those takes. Economy is failing and people are starving. Cant pay taxes.

Leader of the Rebellion in Lower Canada: Louis-Joseph Papineau Louis-Joseph Papineau was the leader of THE PATRIOTES: The French speaking Reformers in Lower Canada. They wanted RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT Also wanted to end the discrimination toward the French Canadian majority from the English minority.

Student Question! Finish today! “Write a paragraph that either supports or defies government reform in the Canadas. Did it need reform? What was the problem with it? Was it fine the way it was? Explain whatever opinion you have so that it will be almost impossible for me to dispute it.”  Remember that a paragraph is 6-10 sentences in length.

What Were the 92 Resolutions? The 92 Resolutions was the name of the document of complaints the Assembly of Lower Canada drew up. They presented this to the Government of Lower Canada The Assembly members headed by Papineau threatened to withhold their tax dollars if the government did not listen to their demands. Papineau and his Reformers suggested the American system of government. What was so desirable about the American system?

Rebellion in Lower Canada The Governor of Lower Canada responded with his “Ten Resolutions” that basically crushed the Assemblies’ dreams. PAPINEAU IS SO FRUSTRATED. Papineau and his men begin to openly rebel against the government.

The Rebellion-Step by Step This is in Horizons, but is much longer to read  1. Papineau begins organizing protestors and his Assembly. The Catholic Church refuses to support the rebellion. ----WHY? 2. An armed rebellion suddenly breaks loose when a group of Patriotes resists arrest. A branch group of the Patriotes, the more militant Fils de la Liberte (Sons of Liberty) join in on the scuffle. 3. Full rebellion begins with the attempted arrest of Papineau. 4. Papineau escapes and flees to the United States 5. The Battle moves to the countryside and the remaining Patriotes, led by Wolfred Nelson, take Saint-Denis, a village in the Richelieu valley. 6. However, the Patriotes loose battles in Saint-Charles, and Saint-Eustache. The Rebellion fails 7. A second rebellion breaks out again in 1838, however, its disorganized and poorly supplied. It fails. 8. Rebellion fails in Lower Canada, however, the people resent the British rule over them. To this day, many French-Canadians feel resentment about this time period.

Rebellion Fails Under the name of Mr. Louis, Papineau flees to the United States. Rebellion fails for 2 MAIN REASONS: LACK OF PLANNING AND MILITARY LEADERSHIP ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH DOES NOT APPROVE OR SUPPORT THE REFORMERS

Horizons Questions Page 80 Verbal Answers today  Show your thinking and understanding of this topic. 1.Who do you think was ultimately responsible for the rebellions? If you had to blame someone, who would it be and why? And, did the rebellions “fail”? Although our history books tell us ‘yes’, what do you think? 2. Why do you think First Nations peoples avoided involvement with the Rebellions?