socials 9: british north america

the american revolution

• causes

  • long-term:

    • taxation without representation

      • i.e., government of 13 colonies

  • short-term:

    • taxation

      • intolerable acts

        • series of four acts, british govt’s response to boston tea party

      • stamp + townshend act

        • stamp act: required tax on newspapers, legal docs, etc

        • townshend act: taxed staples like tea, paper, etc

    • land

  • trigger:

    • boston massacre (lexington green)

      • not rly trigger but also kinda was

• end of AR:

  • treaty of paris 1783

    • set boundaries of BNA

    • this is kinda ?? misinformation. treaty of paris ended seven years’ war?

• attack on quebec

  • failed american attempt to rally canadian support against british

  • ironically reinforced canadian loyalty to britain

    • britain had just become peceful with canadiens + americans didnt treat them well previously so they were like noooo

• loyalists, patriots, sons of liberty

  • loyalists: americans loyal to british crown after getting independence; 20% of pop

  • patriots: americans supportive of independence and national pride

  • sons of liberty: more violent offshoot of patriots

    • bullied loyalists

british north america

• arrival of loyalists

  • created cultural tension

    • french concern: english (who outnumbered them) were anti-french, anti-catholic

    • english concern: “it’s british NA, we shouldnt have to accommodate the french”

  • impact: increased population, led to creation of new brunswick & nova scotia, led to constitutional act of 1791

• immigration to BNA

  • immigrants largely from US and EU

    • wealthy: comfortable trip

    • poor: travel in steerage (cargo area), terrible conditions, death

      • often entered indentured servitude to get to BNA

• constitutional act of 1791

  • what is it?

    • british govt’s response to english demands for their own govt

  • two key things changed

    1. split quebec into upper & lower canada

    2. gave different govts to different colonies

  • why was it written?

    • to settle conflict between french and english in quebec

• upper & lower canada

  • upper: british side—anglophonic, anglican, used british law

    • 1/7th of land reserved for crown, 1/7th reserved for clergy

  • lower: french side—francophonic, catholic, used french civil law + british criminal law

• colonial govt structure in bna

  • top-down govt

    • governor: appointed by crown

    • executive & legislative council: appointed by governor

      • proposes laws for colony

    • elected assembly: voted in by the ppl

      • proposed laws could be vetoed

• goals of great britain for UC

  1. recreate “british” society

  2. increase immigration from europe

     a. hold land of colony

     b. protect land from potential american invasion

• how simcoe set out to achieve goals

  • build roads

    • transportation, military, trade

  • establish education system

  • build strong alliance with indigenous

    • protect UC

war of 1812

• causes

  • long-term:

    • trade war

      • both wanted control of EU and NA trade

    • manifest destiny

      • divine right for american expansionism

  • short-term:

    • impressment of american soldiers

      • justification: “they were born in a british canada, therefore theyre british”

    • british support of indigenous land claims

    • pro-war Hawks

      • wanted to expand into canadas

  • trigger:

    • madison’s war declaration (for all reasons above)

• brock & tecumseh

  • brock: british general

  • tecumseh: shawnee chief

    • actively resisted white settlement

• the detroit bluff

  • psychological warfare + bombardment

    • B & T aware that hull (american commander) is terrified of the indigenous

      • B sent letter like “sorry abt the oncoming massacre. i cant get rid of the indigenous lmao!! now surrender”

      • T had his people go all out with war prep, terrifying americans, etc

    • B dressed up militia as professional soldiers

  • americans surrendered without a shot fired in defense

    • gave up fort detroit and all its artillery

      • despite being fully armed and outnumbering B & T’s forces

• treaty of ghent 1814

  • both sides wanted end to war

  • restored status quo ante bellum

    • no loss of land for either side

• outcomes

  • established canada as independent nation

  • increased national pride for british and american

    • americans thought they won bcs they “beat” britain, a global superpower

    • british thought they won bcs america failed to conquer UC and NA