The document summarizes British North America from 1791-1867, beginning with the Constitutional Act of 1791 which divided the territory into Lower and Upper Canada. It discusses the War of 1812, rebellions in 1837 that protested the lack of democracy, and the Durham Report of 1838 which recommended responsible government. It provides an overview of British North America around 1850, including the population, native peoples, religion, education, economy and transportation systems in the territories at that time.

1. British North America
1791-1867
Britain and Early Canada:
Unrest and Responsible Government
© Ruth Writer

2. Constitutional Act of 1791
a.k.a. Canada Act
 Direct result of American Revolution
 BNA divided into 2 colonies @ Ottawa R.
 Lower Canada—Francophone
 Upper Canada—Anglophone
 British and French centers separated
 French Catholics given voting rights, civil law
 Government outline
 No democracy
 Some self government

3. New Map of Canada 1791
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-5003-e.html

4. Canada at turn of century--1800
 Maritimes—Newfoundland, NS, NB, PEI [St. John]
 Lower Canada [Quebec]
 Upper Canada [Ontario]
 Rupert’s Land—Hudson Bay Company
 Jay’s Treaty 1794—Ohio Valley & Great Lakes
 Metis population growing due to movement
west by fur traders

5. War of 1812
Second War of Independence
 USA = 8,000,000
 BNA = 500,000
 Impressment of sailors—no brainer
 Tecumseh—Battle of Tippecanoe 1811
 June 1, 1812, Declaration of War
 Could not attack Britain but BNA close enough
 Not all in USA agreed—i.e. New England

6. Classic Routes of Invasion
 St. Lawrence
 Lake Champlain
 Detroit
 BTW--US record was 3-19-1 according to
Canada
 Won Lake Erie, Lake Champlain, New Orleans

7. http://www.westpoint.edu

8. http://www.westpoint.edu/history/SiteAssets/SitePages/War%20of%201812/OperationsNorth.gif

9. Major Battles
 Queenston Heights [Niagara region] Oct. 1812
 Detroit—surrendered without shot Aug. 1812
 Lake Erie—Oliver H. Perry in October 1813
 York [Toronto]—took Royal Standard--1813
 Washington—August 1814
 Baltimore and Fort McHenry—Sept. 1814
 New Orleans 1/8/15—After Treaty—Oops

10. http://www.westpoint.edu/history/Sit
eAssets/SitePages/War%20of%20181
2/OperationsNiagara.gif

11. Laura Secord
 Loyalist family from Massachusetts
 1795 to Upper Canada
 Married United Empire Loyalist member
 Walked 19 miles with cow [?]—June 1813
 Warned British of attack
 Heroine of Canada
Portrait of Laura Secord by Mildred Peel [1904] Government of Ontario Art Collection
www.thewarof1812.net

12. Battle of York [Toronto]
 Burned public buildings, destroyed Br. Naval
supplies, open jail, burned churches, looted,
sang YANKEE DOODLE
 “Just as long boats brought the Am. Army to shore
in morning, 500 barrels of gunpowder exploded.
This is nearest thing to an atomic blast seen in that
age. Trees and tons of stone fell on Americans,
killing or maiming more than 300.”
 Including Zebulon Pike
 He was expected to be President

13. Record
 3-19-1
 Lundy’s Lane without clear victor
 US won at L. Erie, Plattsburgh, Fort McHenry
 Other battles went to British North America

14. Treaties
 Treaty of Ghent—December 24, 1814
 At the end of War of 1812—a draw
 Battle of NOLA followed
 U.S. and Canada never at war again
 Disputes resolved peacefully
 Rush Bagot Agreement—1817
 Limited development of navy on Great Lakes
 Disarmament agreement
 Future differences resolved with negotiation

15. Rebellions of 1837
 War of 1812 developed BNA national spirit
 Disagreed with lack of democracy
 Loyalists who fled north--hope of new society
 Lower Canada—Louis Joseph Papineau
 Upper Canada—Wm. Lyon Mackenzie

16. Upper Canada
 Family Compact controlled wealth
 Control politically
 Welland Canal built with favoritism in play
 Church of England got privileges
 Rejected reform
 William Lyon Mackenzie—leader of rebels
http://www.biography.com/people/william-lyon-mackenzie-9393096

17. Lower Canada
 Chateau Clique
 Anglophone elite
 Influence over governor
 Poverty among habitants
 Govenment called for end of francophone rights
 Call for union of Upper and Lower Canada
 Louis Joseph Papineau and Habitants
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/qc/manoirpapineau/natcul/natcul1/a.aspx
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saint-Eustache

18. Rebellions
 Both rebellions were armed
 Both groups of rebels too weak
 Meeting of leaders in brewery in 1837—WAIT
 Papineau defeated in Lower Canada
 Mackenzie defeated at Yonge St. Rebellion
 Both fled to USA and became heroes to north
 Trials with some hanged others exiled
 LOST BATTLES BUT WON WAR

19. Durham Report
 Fact finding team sent 1838
 Lord Durham—aristocrat, short visit, parties
 Friend of reform
 Three recommendations
1. End conflict between Anglo/Franco
2. Step toward blending cultures yet bilingual
3. Democratic responsible government
 Rebels failed but did influence history

20. Preview of BNA in 1850s
 Population
 Natives
 Religion
 Education
 Economy
 Transportation
 Boundary Issues

21. Population at 2,500,000
 Natural increase
 Revenge of the cradle
 Immigrants
 Loyalists
 Scots to Cape Breton
 Irish—potato famine in 1840s
 Blacks—loyalists and fugitives later
 Germans—Lunenburg, NS
 Other Europeans

22. Underground Railroad
See separate power point presentation

23. Natives
 Disease—smallpox, measles, consumption
 Diet and alcohol
 Disruption of life--War
 Distribution of land—taken by whites
 Depression—emotional toll
 From 4-5 million in 1492 to ½ million by 1700

24. Religion
 Vital to every day life
 Christians in vast majority
 Catholics—Francophones, Acadian, Irish
 Separate parishes across street—French and Irish
 Protestant
 Anglican in Upper Canada
 Presbyterians [Scots] in Cape Breton
 Baptists

25. Education
 Churches shaped education in Catholic areas
 Formal education only for rich at first
 Ryerson—reformed education
 Methodist minister
 Schools open to all regardless of wealth
 Higher education religious based
 No separation of church and state in Canada
 Tax supported church schools

26. Economy
 Primary activities—worked with hands
 Fishing—Grand Banks
 Fur trade—western reaches, exploration
 Forests—New Brunswick, Ottawa River
 Farming—subsistence also wheat, tobacco
 Trade and banking
 Business in large urban areas
 Factories—ships, mills, textiles, beer, glass,
paper, potash, leather

27. Fishing Grand Banks
 Especially after War of 1812
https://fishandpeople.wordpress.com/page/2/ ; http://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/economy/19th-century-cod.php

28. Fur Trade
 Continued into western regions
 Manitoba and prairies plus HBC
 Metis population growth
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/20/fortchurchill.shtml

29. Clearing the land
 One acre per year the norm
Jefferies, C.W. The Picture Galley of Canadian History; Vol. 2. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1945.

30. Threshing and Winnowing
 Subsistence first
 Wheat sold eventually
 Hard work—entire family
 Few horses or oxen
Jefferies, C.W. The Picture Galley of Canadian History; Vol. 2. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1945.

31. Lumbering
 New Brunswick
 Ottawa River
 On to Michigan and U.S.
Denise Boiteau, et.al. Origins: A History of Canada. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd, 1989.
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/timber-trade-history/

32. Transporation
 Water—still best
 Steam, sail, canoes
 Canals built
 Lachine—1825 at same time as Erie
 Welland—1829 around Niagara Falls
 Rideau—1832—south of Ottawa for protection
 Roads—poor, dirt, logs, gravel
 Rail—1836 near Montreal
 Winter best travel on land—sleds, sleighs

33. Jefferies, C.W. The Picture Galley of Canadian History; Vol. 2. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1945.
http://www.wellandcanal.com/hist.htm; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welland_Canal;
http://www.canadashistory.ca/Magazine/Online-Extension/Articles/History-Spotlight-Canada%E2%80%99s-First-Railway

34. Boundary Issues
 New Brunswick/Maine
 Maine a state in 1820 no worry re: boundary
 Aroostook War—1839
 Loggers wanted trees
 Webster-Ashburton Treaty in 1842
 Western boundary
 54-40 or fight
 49th parallel except Vancouver Island in 1846

35. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h357.html

36. http://maineanencyclopedia.com/webster-ashburton-treaty/

37. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_boundary_dispute

38. Trade with US
 1848 suggestion of union with USA
 No favored trade status with Britain
 No real support for union with USA
 Still fear
 1859—dropped tariffs
 Farm
 Fish—rights to both in coastal waters
 Forest
 Minerals

39. Resources
 Boiteau, Denise et.al. Origins: A History of Canada. Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Ltd, 1989.
 Jefferies, C.W. The Picture Galley of Canadian History; Vol. 2. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1945.
 See, Scott. History of Canada. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. [pages 57-76]
 http://www.warof1812ibook.com
 Writer, Ruth. “1837,” Teaching Canada. Plattsburgh: Center for the Study of Canada, Fall
1995.