Events from the year 1788 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 Canadas: Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester * Governor of New Brunswick:

Thomas Carleton General Thomas Carleton (c. 1735 – 2 February 1817) was an Irish-born British Army officer who was promoted to colonel during the American Revolutionary War after relieving the siege of Quebec in 1776. After the war, he was appointed as L ...

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 ...

: John Parr * Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland: John Elliot * Governor of St. John's Island: Edmund Fanning

Events

* Attorney-General Monk and Solicitor-General Williams are of opinion that, as the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

have no civil existence as a Canadian corporation, their estates accrue to the Crown. *

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

is divided into five districts, under English law.

Births

* January 1 – Peter Warren Dease, HBC officer and Arctic explorer (d.

1863 Events January–March * January 1 – Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation during the third year of the American Civil War, making the abolition of slavery in the Confederate states an official war goal. It proclaims t ...

) * October 14 – Sir

Edward Sabine Sir Edward Sabine ( ; 14 October 1788 – 26 June 1883) was an Irish astronomer, geophysicist, ornithologist, explorer, soldier and the 30th president of the Royal Society. He led the effort to establish a system of magnetic observatories in ...

, soldier and scientist (d.

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

) * December 31 – Alexander Rankin, timber merchant, justice of the peace, politician, and office holder (d.

1852 Events January–March * January 14 – President Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte proclaims a new constitution for the French Second Republic. * January 15 – Nine men representing various Jewish charitable organizations come tog ...

)

Deaths

Historical documents

Royal assent Royal assent is the method by which a monarch formally approves an act of the legislature, either directly or through an official acting on the monarch's behalf. In some jurisdictions, royal assent is equivalent to promulgation, while in other ...

is coming for bill liquidating Loyalist claims, which amount to almost £1.9 million in property and more than £75,000 in income It is right and just that Britain sacrificed Loyalists' property for national well-being, and that they should be compensated for their loss Parliament is likely to investigate " the slave trade, so long a disgrace to every civilized people concerned in it" Text of act governing trade between

British North American British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...

and

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

possessions and United States of America Commons debates whether Caribbean colonies can rely on Canada and Nova Scotia to supply them or must also have trade with U.S.A. British government resolves to give "utmost support" to new North American settlements by importing ship building materials from there Gov. Gen. Lord Dorchester reports " Upper Country Trade" merchants dispense "profuse credits" and find fur prices high at home but low in London Government surveyor seeks 100 subscribers for large-scale

Gulf of St. Lawrence The Gulf of St. Lawrence () is the outlet of the North American Great Lakes via the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. The gulf is a semi-enclosed sea, covering an area of about and containing about of water, at an average depth of . ...

chart covering

Cape Ray Cape Ray is a headland located at the southwestern extremity of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the site of the Cape Ray Lighthouse. It is located opposite Cape North on Cape Breton Island, ...

to Sept-Îles to Saint John and

Canso The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) is a representative body of companies that provide air traffic control. It represents the interests of Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs). CANSO members are responsible for supporting ov ...

Lower Canada

Dorchester pins "animosities nold resentments, and enmity," and hopes gradual reform will seem just to both no-change and change-now factions Both British and Canadian supporters of legislative assembly for Canada say they outnumber and are "not less respectable" than opponents Backing assembly, "Sidney" says don't deprive people of their rights "merely because it would be difficult to accomplish an equal representation"

Smuggling Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...

from U.S.A. includes

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and northe ...

("most consequential article of inland contraband"),

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

by sea, and rum if Canadian price goes up For sale: "A Handsome

Negro In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...

Man" (age 22-23) "and a beautiful Negro Woman" (22-23), married to each other and "both of a good constitution" Missing: "A Negro Man named Caleb," about 26 or 27; "all persons are required not to harbour or employ the said Negro Slave" Reward $4 for missing "

Mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese is ...

fellow named Pascal Puro, ..bout eighteen .. talks good English, writes and reads, ..alls himself a f e-man" No practising medicine, midwifery or pharmacy in Montreal or Quebec without examination, university degree or past military practice, plus licence Ordinance requires adjustment to "trains" (long, heavy Canadian sleighs),

sled A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners ...

s and

cariole A cariole (also spelled carriole) was a type of carriage used in the 18th and the 19th century. It was a light, small, two- or four-wheeled vehicle, open or covered, drawn by a single horse. The term is also used for a light covered cart or a do ...

s that are creating cahots on roadways Paying members of 2,000-volume Quebec Library are "gentlemen desirous to promote science, and afford amusement and instruction" Mrs. Chilley's new boarding school for young ladies at Beauport costs 15 guineas/year plus tuition for writing and arithmetic ($4) and French ($3) "A Distrest Family of Six Females long labouring under difficulties" seeks employment in

needlework Needlework is decorative sewing and textile arts handicrafts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework. Needlework may include related textile crafts such as crochet, worked with a hook, or tatting, worked with a ...

, coarse or fine Documents identify Phillip Cook as father of Elisabeth Jones' baby born in Sorel (a.k.a. William-Henry) parish

Upper Canada

On visit to

Niagara Niagara may refer to: Geography Niagara Falls and nearby places In both the United States and Canada *Niagara Falls, the famous waterfalls in the Niagara River *Niagara River, part of the U.S.–Canada border *Niagara Escarpment, the cliff ov ...

, Dorchester finds Loyalists thankful for Crown's support and "better circumstanced and happier than before the Rebellion" U.S. civilian and military development from

Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

make necessary "advancing the Western settlements of this Province" Settlers to apply through local deputy surveyors general for land at or near

Lac Saint-François Lake Saint Francis (french: lac Saint-François) is a lake which borders southeastern Ontario, southwestern Quebec and northern New York State. It is located on the Saint Lawrence River between Lake Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. The lake forms par ...

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (french: Rivière des Outaouais, Algonquin: ''Kichi-Sìbì/Kitchissippi'') is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word 'to trade', as it was the major trade route of Eastern ...

Kingston Kingston may refer to: Places * List of places called Kingston, including the five most populated: ** Kingston, Jamaica ** Kingston upon Hull, England ** City of Kingston, Victoria, Australia ** Kingston, Ontario, Canada ** Kingston upon Thames, ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the ancho ...

, Niagara and

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Four new districts (Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nassau and Hesse) established between Lac Saint-François and western limit of Canada Widow of Loyalist dead soon after their 1788 arrival with 11 children is "Obliged to bind out some of her Children and suffer with the Others" Butler's Rangers member's wartime wounds include one that never healed, for which he "begs the benefit of one of his Majesty's Hospitals" Legislative Council considers offer of portage service at Toronto Carrying Place as part of connection between Lake Ontario and

Georgian Bay Georgian Bay (french: Baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, in the Laurentia bioregion. It is located entirely within the borders of Ontario, Canada. The main body of the bay lies east of the Bruce Peninsula and Manitoulin Island. To ...

Dorchester reports on Indigenous affairs, including some involving

Joseph Brant Thayendanegea or Joseph Brant (March 1743 – November 24, 1807) was a Mohawk people, Mohawk military and political leader, based in present-day New York (state), New York, who was closely associated with Kingdom of Great Britain, Great B ...

, whom people at Grand River are "much dissatisfied with"

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrology, Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Strait ...

map describes Bruce Peninsula as "exceedingly dangerous for Boats or Canoes to go around" because of lack of landing places Map:

and harbour with lots,

common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

, water depths etc., plus road to "Lake La Clie" (Lac aux Claies, now Lake Simcoe)

Nova Scotia

"Public emergency" extends importation into Nova Scotia of U.S. livestock, bread, various grains, some kinds of lumber etc. "A Farmer" recalls Halifax's prosperity before 1761 reduced to "unprofitability" by 1772, then revived by 1783 but now lagging again List of 22 sawmills (including all of 4 in Truro) built 1786-7 with support of £20 government

bounty Bounty or bounties commonly refers to: * Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing Bounty or bounties may also refer to: Geography * Bounty, Saskatchewan, a gh ...

Petitioner seeks Duke of York's support for grant of Nova Scotia ore bodies his association has found, promising 20% share of profits "Loyal American refugee"

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

leaders in

Digby Digby may refer to: Places Australia * Digby, Victoria, a town Canada * Digby (electoral district), a former federal electoral district in Nova Scotia (1867–1914) * Digby (provincial electoral district), a provincial electoral district i ...

tell bishop they have not built church because they spend all they have on homes and lands

Grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

formally urges Court of Quarter Sessions to prevent any repeat of disorder and fatal violence in recent Halifax election "Swarm of

negro In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...

es, amounting to two or 3000" is looking for jobs, having neglected land allotments and "every encouragement to improve them" "

Indentures An indenture is a legal contract that reflects or covers a debt or purchase obligation. It specifically refers to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, it is an instrument used for commercia ...

of a Negro Girl, aged about twelve Years," are for sale; she is "remarkably affable and handy in tending Children"

Writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, p ...

says minister who enslaves "girl" supports

slave trade Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

"in all the cruel and murderous treatment that slaves have ever endured" Annapolis Loyalist wills three "

Girl Slave (Clarinda, Silvia and Bella) to his daughters Phebe, Mary and Jane, respectively Widow's will grants " full Freedom and discharge from all Servitude as Slaves" to Black woman Rose,

mulatto (, ) is a racial classification to refer to people of mixed African and European ancestry. Its use is considered outdated and offensive in several languages, including English and Dutch, whereas in languages such as Spanish and Portuguese is ...

Agatha and Black man John Bulkley Painting: Black woodcutter at Shelburne Advertisement for various goods says payment accepted in skins, furs, well-cured dried and pickled fish, lumber, flaxseed and other N.S. products London

warehouse A warehouse is a building for storing goods. Warehouses are used by manufacturers, importers, exporters, wholesalers, transport businesses, customs, etc. They are usually large plain buildings in industrial parks on the outskirts of cities ...

can access "ships for Exportation, Cask and Bottled Porter and all Sorts of Country

Ale Ale is a Type of beer, type of beer brewed using a Warm fermentation, warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops. As with most beers, ale typicall ...

and Beer" for Halifax merchants Academy to open near Windsor with Latin School (tuition £4/year) and English and Mathematical School (£3/yr.), plus room and board (£15/yr.) Captain Sterling advertises his Halifax school to teach young gentlemen branches of

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

, of which he is master in theory and practice

Bishop of Nova Scotia The Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island is a diocese of the Ecclesiastical Province of Canada of the Anglican Church of Canada. It encompasses the provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island and has two cathedrals: All Saints' i ...

to deliver sermon "for the Purpose of Cloathing the poor Children who are educated in the Sunday Schools of this town"

New Brunswick

Profile of

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...

is long on praise and short on detail, with exception of dispute with U.S.A. over St. Croix River border Using

weir A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

, net etc. in any river, cove or creek outside authorized places will draw fine of £10 or £20 (2nd offence) or £50 (further offences) Following complaint by

sachem Sachems and sagamores are paramount chiefs among the Algonquians or other Native American tribes of northeastern North America, including the Iroquois. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms (c. 1622) from different Eastern Al ...

, Lt. Gov. Carleton forbids "all persons whatever to settle or occupy" lands of Indigenous people at

Richibucto Richibucto is a town in Kent County, New Brunswick, Canada. Geography The town is situated on the Richibucto River where it discharges into the Northumberland Strait. History Richibucto had been the location of an annual Mi'kmaq summer coas ...

Mrs. Cottnam's Saint John boarding school teaches young ladies grammar, reading "with propriety," writing (spelling, correctness and hand) etc. Two missionaries "under the immediate patronage of ..he Countess of Huntingdon" are to distribute bibles free to Saint John poor people Quakers in England have sent £500 worth of clothing, tools, cash etc. "to their brethren in this province" (with same amount to Nova Scotia) Edward Winslow describes sort of woman he and his wife want for teaching their children and "superintending the affairs of a family"

Pacific Coast

Traders coming from northwest coast of North America sell furs at much lower prices than expected in glutted Chinese market John Meares' visit to Maquilla and his people in

Friendly Cove Yuquot , also known as Friendly Cove, is a small settlement of around six people—the Williams family of the Mowachaht band—plus two full-time lighthouse keepers, located on Nootka Island in Nootka Sound, just west of Vancouver Island, British C ...

Print:

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

North West America ''North West America'' was a British merchant ship that sailed on maritime fur trading ventures in the late 1780s. It was the first non-indigenous vessel built in the Pacific Northwest. In 1789 it was captured at Nootka Sound by Esteban José ...

launched in

Nootka Sound , image = Morning on Nootka Sound.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Clouds over Nootka Sound , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = Map of Nootka So ...

(September 20, 1788)

Elsewhere

Mathematical problem for students to solve involves rate and number of revolutions of two "Planets" (

satellites A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotop ...

) in

Earth orbit Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of 149.60 million km (92.96 million mi) in a counterclockwise direction as viewed from above the Northern Hemisphere. One complete orbit takes days (1 sidereal year), during which time Earth ...

Chancellor of the Exchequer The chancellor of the Exchequer, often abbreviated to chancellor, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom, and head of His Majesty's Treasury. As one of the four Great Offices of State, the Chancellor is ...

tells House of Commons that Newfoundland produced record 200,000

quintals The quintal or centner is a historical unit of mass in many countries which is usually defined as 100 base units, such as pounds or kilograms. It is a traditional unit of weight in France, Portugal, and Spain and their former colonies. It is co ...

of fish in 1787 To protect

creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some property ...

s, anyone leaving

Cape Breton Island Cape Breton Island (french: link=no, île du Cap-Breton, formerly '; gd, Ceap Breatainn or '; mic, Unamaꞌki) is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America and part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. The island accounts for 18. ...

must first post notice of that for 3 weeks and obtain pass from government "Induce them to throw themselves into the Arms of Great Britain" - Loyalist John Connolly's effort to engage people in District of Kentucky Joseph Amos and 31 Mashpee people of Cape Cod petition

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court (formally styled the General Court of Massachusetts) is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the earliest days of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, ...

for land and rights, or they might move to Nova Scotia Saint John

wrecked in gale (

nor'easter A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use o ...

?) off

Wilmington, North Carolina Wilmington is a port city in and the county seat of New Hanover County in coastal southeastern North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 at the 2020 census, it is the eighth most populous city in the state. Wilmington is the ...

, with woman and 3 children washed overboard and drowned Gov. Gen. Lord Dorchester plans to establish 2 settlements in northern Canada for communication with

James Bay James Bay (french: Baie James; cr, ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, Wînipekw, dirty water) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean, of which James Bay is the southernmost par ...

, and possibly colony of convicts "Existence is contemptible without its sweets - and those sweets of our existence, are our liberties" - call-to-arms issued and seized in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

"The blow so long meditated is at length struck - and the horrors of civil war are spreading with rapidity throughout many parts of France"

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

assessed: "The flame of revolt ..ill yet break forth with irresistible rage, and in the end extinguish her monarchy""Present State of the Continental Powers; France,
The Nova-Scotia Gazette, and the Weekly Chronicle
Vol. XVIII, No. 1186 (December 30, 1788), Page 2 of 15 (righthand page, left column). Accessed 26 May 2023

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1788 In Canada 1780s in Canada 1788 in North America 1788 in the British Empire

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 ...