Social Studies-Lord Durham Reports and Responsible Government

What does Durham think caused the rebellions?

• Ethnic and cultural tensions between French and English Canadians

Does Durham believe the rebellions were political or cultural and is he basing this off of fact or opinion?

• Cultural

• Showed bias and was based more on personal opinion proven with words said such as “I found” “I saw”

What does Durham mean by British improvement?

• Expansion of British culture, institutions, and values

What is he suggesting about French Canadians being stationary?

• The French held back and lacked development and advancement compared to British settlers

How did the French react to Lord Durham’s description?

• Felt shocked, and confused from the bias against French Canadians shaming their language, cultures and laws

What does Durham think is the only way to ensure peace?

• For everyone to share the same laws and beliefs

• The elected representatives must have real power, not just the crown

What are the three things Durham wants to become English?

• Laws

• Language

• Culture

What is Durham’s solution to conflict in Lower Canada?

• For the British Empire to take over the whole American continent

• Assimilate the French culture

Is assimilation presented as beneficial, harmful or both?

• Both (mostly harmful)

• Beneficial for British in order to gain more power

• Can be harmful for other residents and habitants of the rest of the continent because they loose their land, culture, laws and way of living

What does Durham think will happen if the Canadas are united?

• Strengthen the colony and end hate and disdain for each other

Does Durham’s solution address the root cause of conflict?

• No

• French and English are two different sides and are composed of different people and culture

• No matter how much you try to unite them, they could never feel of the same culture

Why was the Durham report needed?

• The government model

  • Governors were appointed by Britain

  • Small elite ruled (Family Compact and Chateau Clique)

• Rebellions-showed Britain needed change

What was Durham’s mission?

• Lord Durham was sent from Britain to

  • Identify root causes of unrest

  • Propose solutions

• Travelled through Upper and Lower Canada interviewing diverse groups

What was Durham’s assessment?

• Existing government was outdated and unfair

• Deep cultural divide between French and English Canadians

What was Durham’s Recommendations?

• Unite Upper and Lower Canada to simplify governance

• Introduce responsible government-empower locals, reduce dominance of appointed officials

• Promote British culture and immigration-Assimilate the French

What was the outcome based on Durham’s report?

• Act of Union (1840)

  • created the Provine of Canada

  • Upper Canada-Canada West

  • Lower Canada-Canada East

• Equal Representation in Legislative Assembly

  • Canada West-42 seats with 400, 000 people

  • Canada East-42 seats with 600, 000 people

• English became sole official language

• Responsible government still not achieved

What was the Impact and significance of the Act of Union?

• increased political tension between Canada East and West

• Strengthened French Canadian unity-felt more divided against the English

• Helped lead to Confederation

Who was Robert Baldwin?

• Canada West (Upper Canada/Ontario)

• Leader of the Reform movement

Who was Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine

• Canada East (Lower Canada/Quebec)

• Support of the Parti Patriote but did not support violence

The Beginning of a Responsible Government.

• LaFontaine lost his seat in Canada East

  • Many French Canadians saw him too willing to support English Canadians

  • Baldwin invited and supported him to run in Canada West

  • La Fontaine won

• Baldwin looses his seat in Canada West

  • La Fontaine encourages him to run in Canada East

  • Baldwin won

• Reformers won the majoirty in election

• Govenor General Lord Elgin asked LaFontaine to head government

• LaFontaine accepted…if Baldwin is joint leader

What type of changed did responsible government bring?

• Established public school systems

• Expanded prisons and asylums

• Broadened voting rights to greater number of men including African Canadian property owners

• Reorganized municipal governments

• Elected officials were given more important roles

• Responsible government

What groups stayed the same?

• The Indigenous

• Women

• Poor men

What did LaFontaine and Baldwin do once in power?

• Restored French as an official language

• Established Responsible government

• Passed the Rebellion Losses Bill compensated people who lost property during the 1837 rebellions

What was the outcome because of the Rebellion Losses Bill?

• Tories attacked the bill because they saw it as rewarding traitors and treason and demanded it to be vetod

• Resulted in fueled riots, parliament burned, and rocks pelted at Lord Elgin

What is the main message of the political cartoon? And Why?

• Lord Elgin is acting as a nanny, babying Canada by taunting the idea of responsible government just to keep them quiet

• Criticizing responsible government