Life in Lower Canada:1815-1838

Outline

Groups in Lower Canada

Government in Lower Canada

Unrest in Lower Canada

1) Groups in Lower Canada

Habitants

Merchants

Professional Men

Habitants

French speaking tenant farmers

Paid rent to a Seigneur

Worked long narrow farms

Habitants

Changes occurring

Lifestyle might be threatened by English newcomers

French language

R/C religion

Agricultural way of life

Anxious over scarcity of land and poor economic conditions

Habitant Concerns

Population growth was filling up available farm land

Rows being split along the St. Lawrence R./Richelieu R./ Ottawa R.

With less land available many looked for work in towns and lumber camps or went to the U.S.

Merchants

English

New to the area in comparison to the Habitants

Rich and Powerful (exporting furs & timber + wheat the Habitants provided)

Merchants Desires

Focused on area improvements

Harbors

Canals

Roads

All of which they wanted to be paid for by the govt. through taxes

Professional Men

The newest of the 3 groups

Educated people (doctors & lawyers)

Professional Men Goals

Wanted to be the leaders of Lower Canada

Took it upon themselves to speak up for French-Speaking Lower Canada

Dreamt of a separate French Cdn Nation wherein they could then preserve the French Cdn way of life

The French language

R/C religion

Traditional agricultural lifestyle

2. Government in Lower Canada

Chateau Clique

Parti Canadien

Chateau Clique

Held most the power in Lower Canada

Mostly business people

British background or wealthy French Cdns

Supported the R/C church and the R/C church supported them in return

Favored British system of government & views

Wanted more English to join the current population

Parti Canadien (Parti Patriote 1826)

Almost exclusively French

Viewed change as a threat

They appealed to the professional elite

Louis-Joseph Papineau (lawyer) was their leader

From their political position (the legislative assembly) they were able to block the Merchants from their plans

(Harbors/Canals/Roads)

Canadien Sentiment

“Not only did the British cast their beggars

on the Canadian shore, they must do still

more; they must send us, as the final outrage,

pestilence and death.”

-Parti Patriote-

3. Unrest in Lower Canada

Points of view

Appeal to Great Britain

Armed rebellion in Lower Canada

Points of View

Frustration from the Legislative Assembly

Difficulty passing laws

Reason Legislative Council & Executive Council had different goals and values

Appeal to Great Britain

1834-The Legislative Assembly put forth a proposal

Ninety-Two Resolutions Voted no for taxes until their concerns were

addressed

Appeal to Great Britain

Lord Gosford came from Great Britain to investigate

Papineau & the Patriotes saw Gosford as a puppet

The merchants were unimpressed with Gosford trying to please the Patriotes

Gosford sent a report to Great Britain responding to the 92 Resolutions

Appeal to Great Britain

Great Britain responded with 10 Resolutions

Papineau & Patriotes not happy as Great Britain refused to give the Legislative Assembly power

British immigration still coming in

Even if the Legislative Assembly refused to vote for taxes the Governor would take money to pay his officials anyways

Appeal to Great Britain

Shortly after economic depression struck

United States

Great Britain

British North America

Additionally that further infuriated the Canadiens

Armed conflict to come

Armed Rebellion in Lower Canada

Papineau & his Canadiens ready to fight

Battle at St. Denis—November 23, 1837—Success

Battle at St. Charles unsuccessful

Papineau fled to the United States & if he was ever to return he would be executed

Armed Rebellions in Lower Canada

St. Eustache (biggest battle)

1000 Patriotes

Fought from a church & a couple buildings

Bombarded with canon fire

British lit churches and buildings on fire

70 Patriotes died

The Rebellions proved to be unsuccessful