Rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada

After reading these notes, write a paragraph in your blog comparing and contrasting the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada.  Consider the following: problems that led up to the rebellions, the leaders of the rebellions and what they did, the rebellions themselves, and the outcome of the rebellions.  When you are finished your paragraph, add a link to the Facebook page you created on either Mackenzie or Papineau.

Political Problems in Upper Canada

• settlers were unhappy about land distribution - particularly about the clergy & crown reserves and the land speculators that were part of the Family Compact. and absentee landlords that overpriced and tied up prime land.
• the settlers were also unhappy that the building of roadways was hindered by the clergy and crown reserves.
• William Lyon Mackenzie was a radical reformer with strong political convictions.
• He bought a newspaper called The Colonial Advocate in which he published articles that were very critical of the government and the Family Compact.
• His newspaper office was ransacked by members of the Family Compact so Mackenzie sued them which put him at the centre of a group of people who wanted a radical change in government.
• Mackenzie was elected a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1828 and became a leader of the reform movement.

Political Problems in Lower Canada

• Problems in Lower Canada were in some ways more serious than in Upper Canada.
• French population had not adjusted to the British conquest.
• British rule was lacking democracy which was hard to accept by the French Canadians especially since they had been exposed to the ideas of the French and American Revolutions.
• Lower Canada was also controlled by an oligarchy - the Chateau Clique - made up of merchants and ex-army officers, mainly English speaking.
• The only reason the Chateau Clique maintained ties with the Catholic Church and some of the wealthy French Canadian landowners was for profit.
• The land problems that Upper Canada experienced were unknown under the seigneurial system.
• Other problems, however, were very serious for the French Canadians
• English had most of the advantages even though they were a smaller part of the population of Lower Canada.
• French Canadians believed the Church and the seigneurs had "sold out" to the British.
• English had become the official language which felt like an attack on French society and culture.
• French Canadians were afraid the British would bring more English-speaking immigrants to Lower Canada to solve the "French problem".
• The seigneurial system, the system the French Canadians were used to and had been brought to New France (Lower Canada) by the French settlers, was slowly changing.
• The government was changing the old seigneurial system by offering land to people from the British Isles to create a British "free-hold" system.
• When the Irish immigrants, fleeing the potato famine, arrived in Quebec, many were sick with cholera and the French Canadians believed that the British had plans to kill off the French population.
• They felt discriminated against because of their language, culture and ideas.
• French Canadian farmers resented the increase in land taxes while there were no taxes on business revenues.
• The French Canadians felt ignored - every time they tried to address these inequalities with the government, the issues were passed over.
• Louis-Joseph Papineau, a powerful public speaker, became the leader of the reform movement in Lower Canada.
• Not all the reformers were French - Wolfred Nelson, and English physician was a strong supporter of reform as was Edmund O'Callaghan who was Irish and started up the pro-Patriote (pro-reform) newspaper The Vindicator.
• Britain fueled the flames by appointing an anti-French governor, James Craig, who arrested anyone who criticized the government, brought in soldiers to intimidate the French-Canadians, and closed the reformist newspaper, the Canadien.  
• All of this caused the French Canadians to become more and more bitter and angry with the government.
• In 1832, British soldiers shot anti-government protesters in Montreal.
• Louis-Joseph Papineau along with other reformers submitted the "Ninety-two Resolutions" to the governor - these resolutions demanded a complete change in the Lower Canada government.
• Britain responded by replying with the "Ten Resolutions" which denied the rights of the elected Assembly. 
• This led Papineau to openly rebel against the government.

The Rebellions of 1837

Lower Canada

• The reformers of Upper and Lower Canada kept in contact with each other - they discussed common problems and possible solutions.
• Both sets of reformers realized that reform in one colony would affect the other and that reform from within would not work.
• Both Mackenzie and Papineau agreed the best move would be to make armed attacks on the government.
• By revolting in both Upper and Lower Canada, Britain would not have enough troops to deal with both.
• Unfortunately the revolts were not well coordinated.  
• The Fils de la Liberte led the rebellion in Lower Canada after the attempted arrest of Papineau.
• If they had been supported by the Catholic Church, they might have been successful but the Church urged the French Canadians to stay loyal to Britain.
• By December 1837 most rebels had been killed, wounded, or arrested.
• Papineau escaped to the US.
• The resentment against the British/English-speaking Canadians has remained until today.

Upper Canada

 

• Mackenzie and his followers in Upper Canada wanted to implement American style reforms.
•  This distanced the reformers from many of the British settlers who still thought of the US as the enemy.
• Many people, however, recognized the need for a new style of government.
• Britain appointed the pro-Family Compact aristocrat, Sir Francis Bond Head, as governor.
• As with Lower Canada, this created tension and resentment amongst the people of Upper Canada.
• His style of ruling was heavy-handed and was reprimanded by the elected Assembly - his response was to dissolve the Assembly.
• Mackenzie and the radical leaders made plans that were treasonous.
• Mackenzie organized the resistance and trained the rebels to fight.
• Very few of the rebels, including Mackenzie, had actual military experience.
• The lack of military experience and poor planning would eventually lead to the defeat of the rebels.
• Mackenzie planned to set up a new and independent government if the demands of the rebels were not met.
• Not all of the radicals were willing to follow Mackenzie, however he decided to go ahead with his plans of rebellion.
• His attempts to attack were quickly put down by the militia and Mackenzie escaped to the US dressed as a woman.
• Other leaders of both rebellions were either hanged or transported to Bermuda to be used as slave labour on plantations or government projects.