Rebellion in the 13 Colonies

Growing Restless Although successful, by 1765 the 13 colonies were growing restless under British rule

They were only allowed to trade with Britain

They had to pay high taxes on imported goods

They wanted more control over their own affairs

In 1774 the passing of the Quebec Act made things worse

Ohio Valley was given to Quebec NOT the 13 Colonies

In 1775 war broke out and the American Revolution had begun

The Americans thought that the Canadiens would join in their fight against the British

They marched into the province of Quebec, capturing Montreal – they then headed to Quebec City

Do you think the Canadiens will support the Americans? Why or why not?

The United States of America The invasion of Quebec failed

– the Americans did not get the support they wanted to

The Revolution did not give up, however

Finally, after many years of fighting, Britain recognized the United States of America as a sovereign country in 1783

What do you think would have happened if the Province of Quebec had joined the Revolution? How would Canada have been different?

Citizens Loyal to the King During the American Revolution, people from

many different places lived in the 13 Colonies

Not all of them supported the rebellion Approximately 1/3 of citizens remained

loyal to Britain These people were called loyalists and

made up the United Empire Loyalists United Empire Loyalists had many reasons

for their opposition

Did not believe in using violence Business ties with Britain Fought in the military with British

regiments Enslaved African Americans seeking

freedom First Nations who had lost their land to

Americans

Loyalist vs. Traitor The American

revolutionaries treated the loyalists as traitors

Their property and possessions were taken away

They were beaten, tarred and feathered and often jailed

To escape this treatment, many loyalists left the 13 Colonies and fled to Canada, which was still under British control

They were some of Canada's first refugees

Loyalists Head to Nova Scotia

During and following the Revolution, around 40,000 loyalists migrated to British Colonies

Many travelled to Nova Scotia, as it was quite near and a short trip

The influx of refugees doubled the population of the colony

Britain promised to help with land and supplies to start their new life

Some received land (usually those who fought for Britain)

Many others received no land, however

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Black Loyalists

A large number of loyalists were slaves whose descendants had been brought from Africa

They were treated worse than other Loyalists

They received less land than others, and the land they did get was not good for farming

Many had to work as tenant farmers

Much like serfs in Medieval Europe

They faced racism and discrimination

Hannah Ingram(1772-1869)

She came to New Brunswick with her family when she was 11 years oldRebel forces had taken her family's farm when her father joined a Loyalist regiment

“It was a sad, sick time after we landed in Saint John. We had to live in tents. The government gave them to us, and food too. It was just at the first snow then. The melting snow and rain would soak up into our beds as we lay . . .

We lived in a tent at St. Annes until father got a house ready. He went up through our lot till he found a nice fresh spring of water. He stooped down and pulled away the fallen leaves and tasted it. It was very good so there he built his house.”

- Hannah Ingram, “Reminiscences”

Rose Fortune(1773-1864)

Rose was born into slavery in the southern United StatesShe came as a slave with a Loyalist familyShe was 10 years oldRose gained her freedom in Canada and started her own business, The Lewis Transfer CompanyShe later became the town's police officerLater in her life, she helped with the Underground Railroad to assist slaves escaping to freedom

New Colonies Many of the Loyalists were

unhappy in Nova Scotia They had endured hardship and

cruelty and put up with a lot – some resented those that had not

Loyalists wanted their own colony In 1784, Britain agreed by dividing

the colony into two parts The western portion became

New Brunswick Cape Breton Island became a

separate colony Ile Saint-Jean was renamed

Prince Edward Island

Loyalists Come to Quebec Loyalists also headed to Quebec

There, they lived in temporary camps until Britain helped them

Most, however, did not really want to settle in Quebec

Why do you think they didn't want to?

The good arable land had already been taken, so Governor Frederick Haldimand agreed to give them land further west

Near the upper St. Lawrence and north shore of Lake Ontario

A Fair Trade?

The land given to the loyalists wasn't the Governor Haldimand's to give – it was Anishinabe land

The governor bought the land in 1781 and 1783

He paid the Anishinabe in guns and other trade goods Do you think this was a fair trade?

Like most First Nations, the Anishinabe believed that land was not something that could be bought or sold

Perhaps they thought they were giving permission for the loyalists to use the land, not own it

They may also have been scared to say no

In the United States First Nations who did not willingly sell their land were forcibly removed from it

The Constitutional Act, 1791 Most Loyalists were English speakers

In Quebec, they were the minority, and they wanted to keep their British heritage

They wanted their own colony and institutions

In 1791 the Constitutional Act divided the colony of Quebec into two parts

All land west of the Ottawa River became Upper Canada (majority English)

All land east of the River became Lower Canada (majority French)

All rights from the Quebec Act were kept

Why “lower” and “upper”?