Pages 140-143

Group 1: HabitantsTheir way of life had not

changed much for 150 yearsMore people meant less

available farm land and smaller lots of land

Not much work for young people

After 1810 many were starving because there was not enough food

Too many English-speaking immigrants were threatening the habitants’ way of life

Group 2: MerchantsEnglish-speaking people who were very rich and

powerful They made money from furs, timber and wheatThey wanted the government to use taxes to

improve Lower Canada by building bridges, canals, harbours and roads

Group 3: Professional MenEducated, French-speaking such as lawyers

and doctorsThey wanted to be leaders and speak for all of

the people in Lower CanadaThey dreamed of a separate French-Canadian

nationThey liked the traditional French-Canadian way

of life and saw the British as a cultural threatThey created a political party called “Parti

Canadien”

Government in Lower CanadaThe government in Lower Canada

was similar to that created in Upper Canada under the Constitutional Act

Some differences were: members of both the

Legislative and Executive Councils were appointed for life

the governor and the members in the council were all English-speaking which made their interests very different from the French-speaking habitants and professional men

British

Governor

Legislative Council

Executive Council

Legislative Assembly

Voters

Powerful Groups in L. CanadaChateau CliqueA small group of wealthy

people who were either British or French-Canadians

Believed only a few people should have all the power in government

Wanted the Roman Catholic Church to remain powerful because the Church helped them

They favoured the British system of government and wanted more British people to move into Lower Canada

Parti CanadienMostly French-Canadians who

wanted the old, traditional French ways

They saw change as negative and did not like new ideas

Their leader was Louis-Joseph Papineau

They were able to get the professional men to control the Legislative Assembly and vote against improvements

The merchants were angered by them since they wanted the improvements

Louis-Joseph PapineauA wealthy seigneur who was a professional man

and wanted changes to be made in the government

Became the leader of the “Parti Canadien” which changed its name to “Parti Patriote” after 1826

Questions – Individual Work1. Who were the 3 main groups in L.Canada and

what did they want?2. What were the Habitants scared about?3. Which political party was Louis Papineau part

of?4. Why were the views and opinions of the people

sitting on the Executive Council different than those on the Legislative Assembly and voters?

5. What’s the difference between the Chateau Clique and Parti Canadien?

DAY 2 – UNREST IN LOWER CANADA

Unrest in Lower CanadaThe French-speaking people and English-speaking

merchants wanted different things in Lower Canada such as:The merchants wanted improvements for transportation

but to pay for those improvements they wanted to use tax money. They also wanted Upper and Lower Canada to unite to give the English people a voting majority in the L.A.

The seigneurs wanted to protect their own way of life which meant no more immigration.

French-speaking people also wanted to have more influence in the Executive and Legislative Councils or at least have people that represented the views and ideas of the French speaking population (not the ENGLISH).

The 92 ResolutionsIn 1834 the Legislative Assembly put

together a list of 92 grievances (or resolutions) and sent it to the British government

They said the people would not pay any taxes until their concerns were resolved.

With no taxes, government workers would not get paid and any work on transportation improvements would have to stop

Resolutions ExampleWe use resolutions today when we want to

improve something in our lives. The most common time for people to make a list of resolutions is on New Year’s.

Individually, come up with a New Years resolution to share with the class!

Britain’s ResponseBritain sent a man named Lord Gosford to

investigate what was happening in Lower Canada in 1835

He was not liked by either groups because he was seen as a puppet.

In 1837 Britain decided write their own 10 resolutions which included the following:Britain refused to give the Legislative Assembly any

more power and if they refused to give tax money to the Governor he now was given power to just take it

Britain also continued to encourage immigration

Armed Rebellion: WAR!After Britain’s response the Canadiens were

ready to fightThe rebellion started in November of1837 and

ended in December of 1837Who do you think was the winner?

The ResultOn December 14th the Canadiens gathered in

the village of St Eustache and were ready to fight

The British attacked the village and completely burned and robbed it!

In the end 12 rebels were hanged and 58 were sent to Australia as prisoners

Another 1200 prisoners were set freePapineau escaped to the USA and was to be

executed if he tried to return to BNA

Something to think about...After looking at the events in Lower Canada

think about the following with your partner:What do you think will now happen to the

relations between the French-speaking and English-speaking people?

Can life continue in Lower Canada with British leaders and large French-speaking citizens?

What do you see happening in the future?Be ready to present your thoughts!!

Important Vocabulary WordsModerate – a person who does not hold

extreme opinionsRadical – holding extreme opinions; wants

fundamental social, economic, and political changes.

Treason – the crime of betraying one’s country

Puppet – leader who is not independent, who waits for orders or does what someone else tells him or her to do.

Political reform – changes to make the government better.

Government in Upper CanadaTwo major political groups in Upper Canada were:The Tories (lead by the Family Compact)The Reformers (wanted political reform (change))

Family Compact (TORIES)Was a small group of

powerful peopleDefended tradition and

opposed changePower should be in the

hands of a fewChurch should be powerfulWere loyal to Great Britain

and British system.Held political positions in

the Legislative and Executive Council

The ReformersUnlike the family compact

“the Reformers” wanted change in Upper Canada.

They opposed the power of the family compact.

They were divided among radical and moderate groups

They wanted to create change in government and society of Upper Canada (similar to that of the United States)

The Reformers included people who would later take part in the rebellion.

Robert GourlayHe was a reformer who

immigrated from Scotland and wanted to bring poor people from Britain to Upper Canada to farm.

Gourlay spoke with local farmers about problems and difficulties. He encouraged farmers to meet and discuss their problems.

The Family compact felt he was a threat and put Gourlay in jail (later thrown out of Upper Canada).

He is a moderate

William Lyon MackenzieHe was reformer (from Scotland)

who used his newspaper to speak out about the problems experienced by farmers and the Family Compact.

He was elected into the Legislative Assembly and spoke out against the Family Compact. Mackenzie was expelled from Leg. Assembly 6 times, but voted back every time.

He participated in the armed rebellion in attempt to destroy Upper Canada’s system of government.

Considered a Radical

Sir Francis Bond HeadWas appointed lieutenant-

governor of Upper Canada and was welcomed by the reformers.

Reformers felt betrayed by Bond.

The Legislative Assembly refused to work with Bond which resulted in a freeze in funds.

Bond ordered an election and personally fought for the Tories. They won and defeated the Reformers.

End of LessonHomework:Complete

vocabulary worksheet

Study for chapter 6/7 test

Election ViolenceElection violence

was common during the 1830s. There was no secret ballot like today. Instead people shouted their choice which usually resulted in shouts and insults. Voters often threw stones and swung clubs at one another.

Armed Rebellion (Upper Canada)Mackenzie wanted to take

advantage of the political unrest. He rode to the countryside and found people to support his cause. He found 4000 people to sign his petition, but when it came to fight he only had 800 men.

The Reformers wanted to have a government similar to United States.

In the end, the rebellion was a failure and Mackenzie escaped to the United States.

Results of the RebellionUpper and Lower Canada ended up worse

(temporarily) after the rebellion.Government (Legislative Assembly) was

suspended for 4 years.People were afraid to speak out about

change because they might be accused of being a radical.

The British sent Lord Durham to investigate the causes of the rebellion and to suggest solutions to the problems.

Newspaper AssignmentCreate your own Newspaper issue

which will report on the 1837 Rebellion. You must write your paper from the “Family Compact’s” or “Reformers” perspective.

Must include:Name of NewspaperDate of issueArticle describing the eventA article analyzing the cause and effect“Letter to the Editor”Advertisement Picture of the event