MODULE FOUR

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MODULE FOUR

• Lower Canada in Transition
• Constitutional Act of 1791
• Economic and Social Change
• The Rebellions - Act of Union
• Industrialization

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CONSTITUTIONAL ACT - 1791

• PURPOSE To accommodate the Loyalists!
• Characteristics
• representative government with an elected
  assembly
• representatives were elected, governor was
  appointed and he had the power of VETO (to reject
  laws)
• divided Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada
• Lower Canada kept much the same as under Quebec
  Act, French majority
• Upper Canada had all British law and land
  systems, English majority (most Loyalists go
  there)

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SOCIETY IN LOWER CANADA to 1840

• Economic Changes
• timber replaces furs
• (1812 War and Napoleon more ships needed,
  blockade)
• Bank of Montreal founded
• construction of canals
• start of railroads and steam ships
• decline in agricultural production (infertile
  soil, old equipment and methods, over-populated
  seigneuries)

• Social Changes
• arrival of large number of British immigrants
  (Irish)
• cholera outbreaks kill thousands in Lower Canada
• new social groups Chateau Clique (British
  commercial class) and Patriotes (French
  professional class or bourgeoisie)

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Political Power in Lower Canada

• Parti Patriote
• (Parti Canadien)
• Papineau leader
• French professionals
• controlled the Assembly
• wanted responsible government, French civil law
  and seigneurial system, protect French culture
  and language
• tax businesses NOT property

• Chateau Clique
• (British Party)
• British executives and businessmen
• controlled Executive and Legislative Councils
• laws that promoted business (property tax NOT
  business tax)
• assimilate French and support construction of
  canals/railways and public works

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REBELLION 1837

• Political Causes
• power of the elite in the Executive and
  Legislative Councils (appointed by Governor) -
  veto
• Parti Patriote (Fr) vs Chateau Clique (Eng)
• frustration of Leg. Assembly
• Economic Causes
• crop failures, food shortages, debt of farmers
• unemployment (loss of jobs)
• Social Causes
• disparity between classes (rich vs poor)
• overpopulation of seigneuries, disruption of
  rural family life, emigration to USA
• frustration of Francophone professionals
• immigrants from Ireland blamed for disease,
  housing shortage and job losses
• NOTE veto power of Governor common cause
  between Upper and Lower Rebellions!

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DURHAM REPORT

• WHY
• investigate rebellions and suggest solutions
• blamed rebellions on English/French racial
  (cultural) hostility
• RECOMMENDATIONS
• unify Upper and Lower Canada
• assimilate French Canadians
• responsible government

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ACT OF UNION - 1840

• PURPOSE response to Durhams Report
• CHARACTERISTICS
• unites Upper/Lower Canada into one Province of
  Canada
• one elected Assembly 42 members each from Canada
  East and Canada West
• English official language of Assembly
• combined debts of the two former Canadas (even
  though Upper Canadas debts were much bigger)
• Does NOT give responsible government
• RESULTS
• 1848 - responsible government under Baldwin
• La Fontaine
• Rebellion Losses Bill 1849 passed and approved by
  Lord Elgin (he was against the Bill) is the
  test
• English Tories burn Montreal Parliament buildings
  as
  protest against Bill and responsible government

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RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT - 1848
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ECONOMIC CHANGES after 1840

• Tariffs dropped on Canadian products in British
  market (no more protectionism)
• Industrialization means many unskilled workers in
  low paying jobs
• Overcrowding on seigneuries causes French
  emigration (leave for USA)
• Reciprocity Treaty of 1854 signed as trade
  agreement with USA (natural products)
• Canal and rail building spree 1850s and 60s

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CHRONOLOGY

• A) B) C) D)
• /_____/_____/_____/_____/
• 1800 1830 1840 1850
  1860
• A) poor economic situation in Lower Canada
  (food shortages, high immigration)
• 1834 92 Resolutions issued by Papineau 10
  Resolutions issued by Lord Russell (rejects those
  of the Patriotes)
• 1837 Rebellion
• 1838 Durham Report
• 1840 Act of Union 1848 true responsible
  government
• 1854 Reciprocity Treaty gives economic agreement
  with USA to move products such as fish, grain,
  coal, lumber across the two borders duty-free
• 1850s and 1860s boom in canal and rail
  building

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Practice Questions

• 1. Under British rule, the colony of Canada had a
  number of constitutions. One of them provided
  for
•      representative government, that is, an
  elected assembly
•      division of the Province of Quebec into
  Upper and Lower Canada
•      a new way of distributing land townships.
• WHICH CONSTITUTION WAS IT?
• The Royal Proclamation             C) The Quebec
  Act
• B) The British North America        D) The
  Constitutional
• Act Act 

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• 2. WHICH ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TEXTS IS ASSOCIATED
  WITH THE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN 1800-1840 ?
• A)  The first railroads did not favour Canadian
  trade, and thus the idea of an intercolonial
  railroad was conceived. In order to build such a
  railroad, an attempt was made to unite all the
  British North American colonies.
• B) The decline of the fur trade coincided with
  the rise of the timber trade which necessitated
  the setting up of banking institutions and the
  improvement of internal communication systems.
• C) It was a period of tremendous agricultural
  growth. Wheat exports to the United States and
  Great Britain continued to grow.
• D) Many Quebec farmers left the farm to work in
  the city. Wages however were very low. A Montreal
  carpenter earned 17 cents an hour for a 60-hour
  week, a streetcar conductor 16 cents, and a
  railroad man 12 cents.

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• 3. PLACE THE FOLLOWING THREE DOCUMENTS IN
  CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.
• Document 1In their 92 Resolutions, the
  Patriotes, led by Louis-Joseph Papineau, demand
  an elected Legislative Council and responsible
  government.
• Document 2"For a long time, Dear Brothers, we
  have heard nothing but talk of unrest and
  revolution among our people. So do not be tempted
  by those who urge you to rebel against the
  established Government." J.-J. Lartigue, Bishop
  of Montreal
• Document 3"I believe that tranquility can only
  be restored by subjecting the Province to the
  vigorous rule of an English majority and that
  the only capable government would be that formed
  by a legislative union." Lord Durham
• A) 1,    2,    3                                 
          C) 2,    1,    3B) 1,    3,   
  2                                         D)
  3,    2,    1

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• 4. FROM THE LIST BELOW, SELECT THE ECONOMIC
  PROBLEM, THE POLITICAL PROBLEM, AND THE SOCIAL
  PROBLEM THAT WERE AT THE ROOT OF THE 1837-38
  REBELLIONS.
• ECONOMIC PROBLEMS                 POLITICAL
  PROBLEMS
• The agricultural crisis 3. union of
  Upper/Lower Canada
• (the shortage of land )              4. lack
  of responsible govt  
• 2. The increase in customs duties           
•                   SOCIAL
  PROBLEMS            5. arrival of the
  Loyalists
• 6. the cholera epidemic
• 1, 3 and 5 C) 2, 4 and 5
• 1, 4 and 6 D) 2, 3 and 6

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• 5. FROM EACH OF THE SETS BELOW, CHOOSE THE FACTOR
  WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE REBELLIONS OF 1837-1838.
• ECONOMIC FACTORS1. Lower Canada was experiencing
  a serious agricultural crisis.2. The timber
  trade was concentrated in Upper Canada.3.
  England abolished free trade.
• SOCIAL FACTORS4. The Loyalists were moving into
  Lower Canada.5. Large numbers of British
  immigrants arrived in Lower Canada.6. Thousands
  of French Canadians emigrated to the United
  States.
• POLITICAL FACTORS7. The Governor refused to give
  the members of the Legislative Assembly control
  over the budget.8. The Legislative Assembly was
  primarily composed of British representatives.9.
  The British Parliament refused to unite the two
  Canadas.
• 1, 5 and 7          B) 1, 6 and 8         C) 2, 4
  and 9       
• D) 3, 5 and 8

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• 6. The five events described in the following
  texts cover the period 1834 to 1848. Two of
  these events have already been correctly placed.
• PLACE THE OTHER THREE EVENTS IN THEIR CORRECT
  ORDER
• There was to be one United Assembly 42 elected
  members would represent Canada West and 42 would
  represent Canada East.
• In his report, Lord Durham recommended the union
  of the two Canadas and responsible government.
• During the rebellions major battles took place in
  St. Denis, St. Charles and St. Eustache.
• In the 92 Resolutions, the Lower Canadian
  Assembly called for an elected legislative
  council, control of the budget and responsible
  government.
• Governor Elgin applied the principle of
  responsible government the members of the
  executive council would be chosen among the
  elected representatives.
• 1, 3, 2, 4, and 5 C) 2, 3, 1, 4, and 5
• 2, 3, 4, 1, and 5 D) 4, 3, 2, 1, and 5

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• During the British Regime, Quebec underwent
  several constitutional changes.
• WHICH CONSTITUTUION CAN BE LINKED TO THE TWO
  DOCUMENT BELOW?
• Document 1
• The Russell resolutions are a foul stain the
  people should not and will not submit to them
  the people must transmit their just rights to
  their prosperity, even though it cost them their
  property and their lives to do so. Louis-Joseph
  Papineau
• Document 2
• I believe that peace can only be re-established
  if the province is subjected to the vigorous
  domination of an English majority and that the
  only effective government would be that of a
  legislative union. Lord Durham
• Constitutional Act C) Act of Union
• Quebec Act D) British North America Act

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• Following the rebellions of 1837-38, London sent
  Lord Durham to investigate the situation in the
  two Canadas. He was to analyze the situation and
  submit his recommendations. After studying
  Durhams report, London decided to apply some of
  his recommendations. These decisions were
  embodied in law in the constitution of 1840 (Act
  of Union)
• A) NAME THE POLITICAL SOLUTION PROPOSED IN EACH
  OF THE TWO TEXTS BELOW.
• B) WHICH OF THESE POLITICAL SOLUTIONS WAS NOT
  INCLUDED IN THE ACT OF UNION OF 1840?
• Text 1
• I believe that no permanent or efficient remedy
  can be devised for the disorders except a fusion.
  Thus the province would be subjected to the
  vigorous domination of an English majority in a
  legislative union. Durhams Report

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• Text 2
• According to Durham, the only way to put a stop
  to political agitation would be to instruct the
  governor to administer the colony according to
  the wishes of the Executive Council. This
  council would have to represent a majority of the
  members of the Legislative Assembly.
• A) Political solution proposed was
  _______________
• B) Text ____

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• ANSWERS
• D 8. A) Act of Union
• B B) Text 2
• A (responsible govt)
• B
• A
• D
• C