HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Province of Lower Canada (french: province du Bas-Canada) was a
British colony The British Overseas Territories (BOTs), also known as the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), are fourteen territories with a constitutional and historical link with the United Kingdom. They are the last remnants of the former Bri ...
on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791–1841). It covered the southern portion of the current Province of Quebec and the Labrador region of the current Province of Newfoundland and Labrador (until the Labrador region was transferred to Newfoundland in 1809). Lower Canada consisted of part of the former colony of
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 to ...
of New France, conquered by Great Britain in the Seven Years' War ending in 1763 (also called the French and Indian War in the United States). Other parts of New France conquered by Britain became the Colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The Province of Lower Canada was created by the '' Constitutional Act 1791'' from the partition of the British colony of the
Province of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...
(1763–1791) into the Province of Lower Canada and the Province of Upper Canada. The prefix "lower" in its name refers to its geographic position farther downriver from the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River than its contemporary Upper Canada, present-day southern Ontario. Lower Canada was abolished in 1841 when it and adjacent Upper Canada were united into the
Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on the ...
.


Rebellion

Like Upper Canada, there was significant political unrest. Twenty-two years after an invasion by the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
in the War of 1812, a rebellion now challenged the British rule of the predominantly French population. After the
Patriote Rebellion The Lower Canada Rebellion (french: rébellion du Bas-Canada), commonly referred to as the Patriots' War () in French, is the name given to the armed conflict in 1837–38 between rebels and the colonial government of Lower Canada (now south ...
in the
Rebellions of 1837–1838 The Rebellions of 1837–1838 (french: Les rébellions de 1837), were two armed uprisings that took place in Lower and Upper Canada in 1837 and 1838. Both rebellions were motivated by frustrations with lack of political reform. A key shared g ...
was suppressed by government troops and Loyal volunteers, the 1791 Constitution was suspended on 27 March 1838 and a special council was appointed to administer the colony. An abortive attempt by revolutionary Robert Nelson to declare a
Republic of Lower Canada The Republic of Lower Canada was a break-away state proclaimed in the aftermath of the 1837 Rebellions. The defeat of the rebellion meant that the state could never be properly established. History Origins A British colony since 1760, Canada ...
was quickly thwarted. The provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada were combined as the United Province of Canada in 1841, when the '' Act of Union 1840'' came into force. Their separate legislatures were combined into a single parliament with equal representation for both constituent parts, even though Lower Canada had a greater population. file:WilliamLyonMackenzie.jpeg, William Lyon Mackenzie, rebellion chief in Upper Canada File:Louis-Joseph Papineau by William Notman.jpg, Louis-Joseph Papineau, rebellion chief in Lower Canada


Constitution

The Province of Lower Canada inherited the mixed set of French and English institutions that existed in the Province of Quebec during the 1763–1791 period and which continued to exist later in Canada-East (1841–1867) and ultimately in the current Province of Quebec (since 1867).


Population

Lower Canada was populated mainly by Canadiens, an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
colonists who settled in
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 to ...
from the 17th century onward.


Transportation

Travelling around Lower Canada was mainly by water along the St. Lawrence River. On land the only long-distance route was the
Chemin du Roy The Chemin du Roy (; French for "King's Highway" or "King's Road") is a historic road along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The road begins in Repentigny and extends almost eastward towards Quebec City, its eastern terminus ...
or King's Highway, built in the 1730s by New France. The King's Highway was, in addition to the mail route, the primary means of long-distance passenger travel until steamboats (1815) and railways (1850s) began to challenge the royal road. The royal road's importance waned after the 1850s and would not re-emerge as a key means of transportation until the modern highway system of Quebec was created in the 20th century.


See also

* Canada East, period after the '' Act of Union 1840'' * Former colonies and territories in Canada * French and Indian War * French and Indian Wars * French colonial empire * List of lieutenant governors of Quebec *
National Patriots' Day National Patriots' Day (french: Journée nationale des Patriotes) is a statutory holiday observed annually in the Canadian province of Quebec, on the Monday preceding 25 May. The holiday was established by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec- in-C ...
*
Ottawa River timber trade The Ottawa River timber trade, also known as the Ottawa Valley timber trade or Ottawa River lumber trade, was the nineteenth century production of wood products by Canada on areas of the Ottawa River and the regions of the Ottawa Valley and weste ...
* Province of Quebec (1763–1791) * Rebellion *
Republic of Lower Canada The Republic of Lower Canada was a break-away state proclaimed in the aftermath of the 1837 Rebellions. The defeat of the rebellion meant that the state could never be properly established. History Origins A British colony since 1760, Canada ...
* The Canadas * Timeline of Quebec history * Upper Canada


References


Further reading

* Robert Christie. ''A History of the Late Province of Lower Canada'', Quebec City: T. Cary/R. Montreal: Worthington, 1848–1855 (Internet Archive
All 6 volumes
* François-Xavier Garneau. ''History of Canada : from the time of its discovery till the union year'', Montreal : J. Lovell, 1860 (Internet Archive
All 3 Volumes
* Saul, John Ralston. ''Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin'' (2010
online


External links

* * *
Lower Canada - Encyclopædia BritannicaGouvernors of Lower Canada - ''Histoire du Québec'' Lower Canada - Library and Archives CanadaLower Canada - Quebec Parliament library
{{coord, 50, N, 69, W, region:CA-QC_scale:10000000, display=title 1841 disestablishments in Canada History of Quebec by location British North America Former British colonies and protectorates in the Americas 1791 establishments in the British Empire States and territories established in 1791 1841 disestablishments in the British Empire 1791 establishments in North America 1791 establishments in Canada States and territories disestablished in 1841