Events from the year 1774 in Canada.

Incumbents

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

George III George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...

Governors

* Governor of the Province of Quebec: Guy Carleton *

Governor of Nova Scotia The following is a list of the governors and lieutenant governors of Nova Scotia. Though the present day office of the lieutenant governor in Nova Scotia came into being only upon the province's entry into Canadian Confederation in 1867, the po ...

: Lord William Campbell * Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland:

John Byron Vice-Admiral John Byron (8 November 1723 – 1 April 1786) was a British Royal Navy officer and explorer. He earned the nickname "Foul-Weather Jack" in the press because of his frequent encounters with bad weather at sea. As a midshipman, he sa ...

* Governor of St. John's Island: Walter Patterson

Events

* September 4 – Delegates from twelve colonies discuss measures for common safety, at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Canada and Georgia are not represented, though invited.

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, not being organized, is not invited. * Lord Dunmore's War fought in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

between settlers and

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

s. * The

first Continental Congress The First Continental Congress was a meeting of delegates from 12 of the 13 British colonies that became the United States. It met from September 5 to October 26, 1774, at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after the British Navy ...

meets. * Guy Carleton's recommendations are instituted in the Quebec Act, which introduces British criminal law but retains French civil law and guarantees religious freedom for

Roman Catholics The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

. The Act's geographical claims, and toleration of Roman Catholics, were so offensive to the 13 Colonies that it helped precipitate the American War of Independence. * Juan Perez ordered by Spain to explore west coast; discovers Prince of Wales Island, Dixon Sound.

Births

* February 4: Frederick Traugott Pursh, botanist (d.

1820 Events January–March *January 1 – Nominal beginning of the Trienio Liberal in Spain: A constitutionalist military insurrection at Cádiz leads to the summoning of the Spanish Parliament (March 7). *January 8 – General Maritime T ...

) * March 13:

Rose Fortune Rose Fortune (March 13, 1774 – February 20, 1864) was a child born in or around Philadelphia of runaway slaves. Her parents became Black Loyalists during the American Revolutionary War when they pledged to be loyal to the British Army in exc ...

, entrepreneur (d.

1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...

) * August 19: Denis-Benjamin Viger, politician, businessman and politician (d.

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

) * September 5: Enos Collins, seaman, merchant, financier, and legislator (d.

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

) * September 17:

William Fitzwilliam Owen Vice Admiral William Fitzwilliam Owen (17 September 1774 – 3 November 1857), was a Kingdom of Great Britain, British naval officer and explorer. He is best known for his exploration of the west and east African coasts, discovery of the Sea ...

, naval officer, hydrographic surveyor (d.

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

) * December 27: Brenton Halliburton, army officer, lawyer, judge, and politician (d.

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

)

Deaths

* July 11:

Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

, superintendent of northern Indians (b.

1715 Events For dates within Great Britain and the British Empire, as well as in the Russian Empire, the "old style" Julian calendar was used in 1715, and can be converted to the "new style" Gregorian calendar (adopted in the British Empire i ...

)

Historical documents

Cover letter on British Quebeckers' petition for provincial assembly to make laws that do not risk their success or their children's

Protestant education Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

Cramahé warns

Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...

of British Quebeckers with "American Ideas in regard to Taxation," saying their "Irregularity" is bad example to

Canadians Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Quebec Act allows Catholicism and Canadian civil law and rights, establishes legislative council and expands province to include land north of Ohio River "Can a better legislature be given than that of a governor and council?" - Lord North says Quebec assembly can't be set up as it would have to be Catholic Former Quebec attorney general thinks temporary, Crown-appointed council with minority of Catholics better than Quebec bill's governor-appointed council "House of riot" - Quebec chief justice thinks Canadians see no advantage in provincial assembly that would be source of disturbance and obstruction Against Quebec Act,

Chatham Chatham may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Canada * Chatham Islands (British Columbia) * Chatham Sound, British Columbia * Chatham, New Brunswick, a former town, now a neighbourhood of Miramichi * Chatham (electoral district), New Brunswic ...

says it would lose "hearts of all the Americans" and British Quebeckers would deplore loss of

jury trials A jury trial, or trial by jury, is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision or findings of fact. It is distinguished from a bench trial in which a judge or panel of judges makes all decisions. Jury trials are used in a significant ...

and

habeas corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

Charles Fox for assembly, which can safely include Canadians, as Catholics have nothing "repugnant in their views to the principles of political freedom" "The great maxim to be learned from the history of our colonization is—let men manage their own affairs" - MP opposes Quebec spread, other parts of bill Supporter says Quebec bill adopts "a government suitable to the ''genius'' of the people" who were "tractable easily governed ndhappy" under French " I never yet knew it was found a grievance to any nation, to give them the

English laws English law is the common law legal system of England and Wales, comprising mainly criminal law and civil law, each branch having its own courts and procedures. Principal elements of English law Although the common law has, historically, been ...

," which Canadians value, and should be worked into their civil law "A work of time and difficulty" - Quebec chief justice describes way to mix Canadian and English laws to satisfaction of both, rather than apply former only Londoners trading to Quebec petition to relieve Quebec merchants by retaining English law (including

) and "grants and commissions" of past Regarding juries, Gov. Carleton says Canadians think it strange that British prefer trial verdicts of "tailors and shoemakers ndgentlemen" over judges

Edmund Burke Edmund Burke (; 12 January NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS">New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style">NS/nowiki>_1729_–_9_July_1797)_was_an_ NS.html"_;"title="New_Style.html"_;"title="/nowiki>New_Style"> ...

: Quebec border (upper St. Lawrence, lower Great Lakes to Pennsylvania line, south to Ohio River) will divide liberty from French slavery Anonymous letter circulated among "French or Canadian Inhabitants" supports Quebec Act with answers to objections made by British seeking its repeal Advocate General says Britain can safely and rightly allow Catholic worship in Quebec, but must ban Catholic doctrine and

papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

or other foreign control In Commons, Carleton says Quebec trade (two thirds in Canadian hands) has greatly increased because of "very fast" growth of population and farming "The body of the people are not at all dissatisfied with the

conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...

" - Quebec chief justice thinks Canadians enjoy improved cultivation and land value Carleton says Canadians were told British law would make them happy, but felt mocked when denied civil rights and "places of profit, or trust, or honour" Gathered in

congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

, 12 American colonies see Quebec Act erecting "arbitrary government" on their frontiers and inclining its inhabitants to hostility "These are the rights ''you'' are entitled to" - Congress urges Canadians to join it and demand rights of Englishmen to check Quebec Act's arbitrariness Letter received from Philadelphia congress inviting Quebec merchants to support measures of "southern Colonies" is burned, and aid for Boston blocked Carleton on Canadians' "Uneasiness" at some British Quebeckers' efforts "to throw this Province into the same Disorders that reign" in other colonies Petitions for repeal of Quebec Act, with 187 signatures from Montreal and Quebec City, are sent to King, House of Lords and House of Commons In case situation worsens in Massachusetts, Gen. Gage asks Carleton if and how "

and Indians" could be organized for military service there "Tuesday Morning last arrived from Boston the Sloop London Expedition, Capt. Chevalier, with 27

Acadiens The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the des ...

, come to settle here" in Quebec Nova Scotia governor on meetings that "greatly tend to disturb the Peace; and to promote ..ublic Disorders and the highest Contempt of Government" As exporting grain and pease "has been the Occasion of great Scarcity," bond and certificate of shipping within Nova Scotia are required through 1775 Military and " wandering" persons without passes, all who even threaten to desert family, and anyone "seriously mad and dangerous" are to be arrested Scarborough, Yorkshire correspondent says town is full of emigrants, most of whom lack "good fortune ..nd expect to find it in the wilds of Nova Scotia" Yorkshiremen see Nova Scotia's good crop land, pasture and timber, but settlers too few and "ignorant, indolent, bad managers, and ..oor" to prosper Touring farmers find Annapolis Valley's poor, rum-drinking New England settlers are very bad farmers ("strangers to cultivation") missing trade prospects Nova Scotia women "very industrious house-wives" who on Sundays dress in silk and calico with long ruffles, their hair dressed high, and carrying fans Halifax

workhouse In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...

wants adults and children "to pick Oakum or

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

" for "good Victuals & Drink, and a good warm Stove Room to Work and Lodge in" Elizabeth Fleming, "having perfectly learn'd the art of a

Midwife A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; co ...

, ..ill readily at any moment wait on Rich or Poor"

Grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...

opened in Halifax to teach Greek, Latin and French, and writing, cyphering and bookkeeping, with hours from 6 to 8, 10 to 12 and 3 to 5 Evening school classes in writing, arithmatic and bookkeeping available to "young Gentlemen Apprentices and others" in Halifax Halifax woman teaches reading and writing, sewing and

knitting Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...

, and flowering, marking and mitts knitting in her school, plus she makes hats and dresses Three-act

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

to run in Halifax that playwright says is entirely fictional, with characters "too '' outre'' to be personal on any Persons here or elsewhere" British

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

orders French frigate off "the fishing banks at Newfoundland," but it refuses and in battle loses its masts and has to strike its colours George Cartwright gives "a severe beating" to employee lost in woods near his Labrador home, and teaches him "unerring rules" about finding his way " Collector of North-American Plants" is in Labrador "to make Discoveries in that uncultivated and barren Part of the World, where no Botanist ever was" " An Act to discontinue ..anding ..r shipping of Goods, Wares, and Merchandise at ..oston; Whereas dangerous Commotions and Insurrections ... Brief note that 1,000 bushels of grain has arrived at

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

from Quebec "for the poor at

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

" Brief obituary for

Sir William Johnson Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet of New York ( – 11 July 1774), was a British Army officer and colonial administrator from Ireland. As a young man, Johnson moved to the Province of New York to manage an estate purchased by his uncle, Royal Na ...

, Superintendant of Indian Affairs Inscription on Wolfe's

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

( removed?) in

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

lauds his "surmounting by Ability, and Valour, all obstacles of Art and Nature""October 5," The Quebec Gazette
Nomb. 472
(January 27, 1774), 2nd pg. Accessed 8 August 2022

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1774 In Canada

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...