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