EVOLUTION OF GOVERNMENT: THE CONSTITUTIONAL ACT OF 1791
Domination or democracy?
British colonies had a common form of government based on the British Parliamentary system. In Quebec, however, the French Catholic majority presented a challenge because this system of government would essentially mean that the English Protestant minority would not be in charge.
To address this unique challenge British authorities came up with a unique solution: it introduced an elected house of assembly and divided the colony into two parts known as UPPER CANADA (Ontario) and LOWER CANADA (Quebec).
British colonies had a common form of government based on the British Parliamentary system. In Quebec, however, the French Catholic majority presented a challenge because this system of government would essentially mean that the English Protestant minority would not be in charge.
To address this unique challenge British authorities came up with a unique solution: it introduced an elected house of assembly and divided the colony into two parts known as UPPER CANADA (Ontario) and LOWER CANADA (Quebec).
The Constitutional Act had 4 main goals:
- Guarantee the same rights for all British subjects in North America
- Allow for taxing to pay for administration
- Justify separating the territory of Quebec into Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec)
- Increase the power of the governor
It should be noted that not everyone had the right to vote. Only subjects who held a minimum of revenue (salary) or property were allowed to vote. Some woman in Lower Canada were able to vote because French civil law allowed for woman property owners.
Ask yourself: who would be happy with the division of the two colonies and the creation of elected assemblies?
Ask yourself: who would be happy with the division of the two colonies and the creation of elected assemblies?
CHANGES IN THE MOTHER COUNTRY
Events that happened far from North America had a big impact on the formation of British North America. Two major developments in Great Britain and France had particularly strong influences.
THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain around 1780 and revolutionized the way societies lived and worked. Using new technologies, industrious people began to produce products faster, in greater numbers, and at less of a cost. This development had a number of important consequences:
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THE FRENCH REVOLUTION (1789) French peasants revolted against their king because of poverty, lack of jobs, and inflation. The people installed a new form of government that no longer included royalty. The French Revolution is important to understand because it is the first instance of the abolishment of a royal government in favour of a representational and democratic form. The Napoleonic Wars were a result of the French Revolution. |
ECONOMY: From Fur Trade to Forestry
Towards the end of the 18th century the Fur Trade, which had been by far the most dominant economic activity, began a dramatic decline.
This was due to a number of reasons including:
This was due to a number of reasons including:
- beaver was hunted to near extinction in some areas
- expansion of agricultural territory
- increase in transportation costs
There were three main causes for the growth of the forestry industry. First, there was a lack of available timber (wood) in western Europe. Forests has been mostly used up and the Napoleonic wars made it difficult to bring wood across the land. Second, the Canadas, like all British colonies, had customs tariffs (taxes) which made their product cheaper than products from outside the empire. Third, the Napoleonic Wars made it difficult for places like Sweden to sell wood to Great Britain. |
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Group Assignment: you are to find as many consequences of the growth of forestry as you can in 15 minutes. You can find this information on page 250-251 of your textbook (section 7.1.3). Each person should write down their DETAILED FINDINGS in their notes. Each group will also hand in an extra copy with all your names written at the top.
War of 1812
Americans were constantly looking to expand its territory and the saw an opportunity to take lands from the British colonies while Britain was fighting in the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. The war lasted from 1812 - 1814 and were rather inconclusive. The Americans were unable to take any land due to a strong resistance put up by English, French, and Natives. This rare alliance was due to the belief that Americans would push for assimilation should they conquer the British colonies.