The End of the Rebellions and Lord Durham’s Report So What was the Point? The End of the Rebellions and Lord Durham’s Report

Was There Any Point to the Rebellions? Some have seen the Rebellions as a legitimate “struggle for democracy” Others have described the rebellions as “little more than a series of armed riots, unplanned, purposeless, hopeless.”

To the Future! The Rebellions did have an impact on Canadian society They helped set in motion a chain of events the would eventually lead to responsible government

Lord Durham AKA Radical Jack John George Lambton – Earl of Durham Durham was a bit of a trouble maker, always asking embarrassing questions in the British House and pushing for more and more parliamentary reforms He was sent to the colonies to check things out And to get rid of him!

Lord Durham Continued Durham arrives in Canada and immediately pardons most of the imprisoned patriotes and rebels He exiled leaders to Bermuda? He travelled to the US and patched up relations there Border raiders

Lord Durham Continued Many saw Durham as a dictator When Durham saw that he had little support in the Canadas he resigned and returned to Britain There he completed his report Lord Durham’s Report

Three Central Recommendations 1. That Upper and Lower Canada be united under one government Assimilate the French 2. The governor be required to name the leaders of the elected assembly as his ruling advisors Elected members would now be in control 3. The colonies be given authority over their own internal affairs Only on imperial matters would the governor be allowed to override them

Revolutionary Recommendations? Durham was only suggesting that the colonies receive the same parliamentary rights as those in Britain He put the blame for the turmoil in Upper Canada on the outdated colonial system and the ruling elite

The French Problem The biggest mistake of Britain (in Lower Canada) was their attempt to preserve a French-Canadian nationality Durham recommended to assimilate the French Conflict between races

Durham’s Demise Unfortunately, for Durham, he never lived to see his recommendations put into action He died in July 1840 due to “the rigours of his Canadian assignment”.