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Family Compact
The Family Compact was a small closed group of men who exercised most of the political, economic and judicial power in Upper Canada (today's Ontario) from the 1810s to the 1840s. It was the Upper Canadian equivalent of the Château Clique in Lower Canada. It was noted for its conservatism and opposition to democracy. The Family Compact emerged from the War of 1812 and collapsed in the aftermath of the Rebellions of 1837–1838. Its resistance to the political principle of responsible government contributed to its short life. At the end of its lifespan, the compact would be condemned by Lord Durham, a leading Whig, who summarised its grip on power: Fortified by family connexion, and the common interest felt by all who held, and all who desired, subordinate offices, that party was thus erected into a solid and permanent power, controlled by no responsibility, subject to no serious change, exercising over the whole government of the Province an authority utterly independent of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
York, Upper Canada
York was a town and the second capital of the colony of Upper Canada. It is the predecessor to the Old Toronto, old city of Toronto (1834–1998). It was established in 1793 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe as a "temporary" location for the capital of Upper Canada, while he made plans to build a capital near today's London, Ontario. Simcoe renamed the location York after Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, George III of the United Kingdom, George III's second son. Simcoe gave up his plan to build a capital at London, and York became the permanent capital of Upper Canada on February 1, 1796. That year Simcoe returned to Britain and was temporarily replaced by Peter Russell (politician), Peter Russell. The original townsite was a compact ten blocks near the mouth of the Don River (Ontario), Don River and a Fort York, garrison was built at the channel to Toronto Harbour. Government buildings and a law court were established. Yonge Street was built, connecting York t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie (March12, 1795 August28, 1861) was a Scottish-born Canadian-American journalist and politician. He founded newspapers critical of the Family Compact, a term used to identify the establishment of Upper Canada. He represented York County, Ontario, York County in the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada and aligned with Reform movement (Upper Canada), Reformers. He led the rebels in the Upper Canada Rebellion; after its defeat, he unsuccessfully rallied American support for an invasion of Upper Canada as part of the Patriot War. Although popular for criticising government officials, he failed to implement most of his policy objectives. He is one of the most recognizable Reformers of the early 19th century. Raised in Dundee, Scotland, Mackenzie emigrated to York, Upper Canada, in 1820. He published his first newspaper, the ''Colonial Advocate'' in 1824, and was elected a York County representative to the Legislative Assembly in 1827. York became the city of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Osgoode
William Osgoode (March 1754 – January 17, 1824) was the first Chief Justice of Upper Canada (now known as Ontario, Canada). Life and career He was born William Osgood in London, England, in 1754 to William Osgood (died 1767). His family was Methodist and John Wesley recounted on Sunday, 13 December 1767 of his father that I was desired to preach a funeral sermon for William Osgood. He came to London nearly thirty years ago, and from nothing increased more and more, till he was worth several thousands of pounds. He was a good man, and died in peace. Nevertheless, I believe his money was a great clog to him, and kept him in a poor, low state all his days, making no such advance as he might have done, either in holiness or happiness. He matriculated at Christ Church, Oxford in 1768, graduating B.A. in 1772, and M.A. in 1777; and was and was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1779. On December 31, 1791, he was appointed first Chief Justice of Upper Canada. Although he main ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Graves Simcoe
Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 until 1796. He founded York, Upper Canada, York, which is now known as Toronto, and was instrumental in introducing institutions such as courts of law, Jury trial, trial by jury, English law, English common law, Fee simple, freehold land tenure, and also in the abolition of Slavery in Canada, slavery in Upper Canada. His long-term goal was the development of Upper Canada (Ontario) as a model community built on aristocratic and conservative principles, designed to demonstrate the superiority of those principles to the republicanism of the United States. His energetic efforts were only partially successful in establishing a local gentry, a thriving Church of England, and an anti-American coalition with select indigenous nations. He is seen by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (3 September 1724 – 10 November 1808), known between 1776 and 1786 as Sir Guy Carleton, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator. He twice served as Governor of the Province of Quebec, from 1768 to 1778, concurrently serving as Governor General of British North America in that time, and again from 1785 to 1795. The title Baron Dorchester was created on 21 August 1786. He commanded British troops in the American Revolutionary War, first leading the defence of Quebec during the 1775 rebel invasion, and the 1776 counteroffensive that drove the rebels from the province. In 1782 and 1783, he led as the commander-in-chief of all British forces in North America. In this capacity he was notable for carrying out the Crown's promise of freedom to slaves who joined the British, and he oversaw the evacuation of British forces, Loyalists, and more than 3,000 freedmen from New York City in 1783 to transport them to a British colony. Towa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Constitutional Act Of 1791
The Constitutional Act 1791 ( 31 Geo. 3. c. 31) () was an act of the Parliament of Great Britain which was passed during the reign of George III. The act divided the old Province of Quebec into Lower Canada and Upper Canada, each with its own parliament and government. It repealed the '' Quebec Act 1774''. The act remained in force until 1841, when it was largely repealed by the ''Union Act, 1840'', which reunited the two provinces into the new Province of Canada. Some provisions relating to the clergy reserves remained in force. The remaining provisions of the act were repealed over time, with final repeal in 1966. History The act reformed the government of the Province of Quebec (1763–1791) to accommodate, amongst other Loyalists, the 10,000 United Empire Loyalists who had arrived from the United States following the American Revolution. The Province of Quebec, with a population of 145,000 French-speaking '' Canadiens'', was divided in two when the act took effect on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Legislative Council Of Upper Canada
The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada. Modelled after the British House of Lords, it was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was specified that the council should consist of at least seven members. Members were appointed for life but could be dropped for non-attendance. The first nine members of the council were appointed on 12 July 1792. The speaker was usually the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench. The Legislative Council was dissolved on 10 February 1841 when Upper and Lower Canada were united into the Province of Canada. Some members were reappointed to the Legislative Council of the united Province. Unlike the other three provinces that would initially make up the Dominion of Canada, a provincial Legislative Council was not re-established for Ontario when the province entered Confederation in 1867. List of Members of the Legislative Council Notes: # Jacob Mountain was the Anglican Bishop o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Executive Council Of Upper Canada
The Executive Council of Upper Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. Members of the Executive Council were not necessarily members of the Legislative Assembly but were usually members of the Legislative Council. Members were appointed, often for life. The first five members were appointed in July 1792. The council was dissolved on 10 February 1841 when Upper Canada and Lower Canada were united into the Province of Canada. It was replaced by the Executive Council of the Province of Canada the same year. After the War of 1812, the Executive Council was dominated by members of the Family Compact, an elite clique based in York. List of Members of the Executive Council Notes: # Æneas Shaw was an honorary member after 1803. # The Reverend John Strachan was an honorary member until 25 July 1817. # On 12 March 1836, all members of the council resigned to protest when the new Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Ontario, Canada, and part of the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway. The canal traverses the Niagara Peninsula between Port Weller, Ontario, Port Weller on Lake Ontario, and Port Colborne on Lake Erie, and was erected because the Niagara River—the only natural waterway connecting the lakes—was unnavigable due to Niagara Falls. The Welland Canal enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment, and has followed four different routes since it opened. The Welland Canal passes about 3,000 ships which transport about of cargo a year. It was a major factor in the growth of the city of Toronto, Ontario. The original canal and its successors allowed goods from Great Lakes ports such as Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago, as well as other heavily industrialized areas of the United States and Ontario, to be shipped to the Port of Montreal or to Port of Quebec, Quebec City, where they were usually reloaded onto ocean ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Allan (banker)
William Allan, JP (1770 – July 11, 1853), was a Scottish Canadian banker, businessman and politician. Life and career Allan was born at "the Moss", near Huntly, Scotland. He came to the British province of Quebec around 1787 under the auspices of family friend John Forsyth (of Forsyth, Richardson & Company), and he settled at Niagara a year later. In 1795, he moved to York (now Toronto) as the agent for Forsyth, Richardson & Company. In 1797, he opened a general store with Alexander Wood, later becoming sole owner. In 1800, Allan was named a justice of the peace in the Home District and, in 1801, became the postmaster at York. During the War of 1812, he served as major in the York militia and negotiated the terms of surrender when York was first captured by the American forces. His store was looted during this period. Allan also served as supplier to the British forces. He later served on the commission responsible for reviewing claims for losses during the war, includin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gentlemanly Capitalism
Gentlemanly capitalism is a theory of New Imperialism In History, historical contexts, New Imperialism characterizes a period of Colonialism, colonial expansion by European powers, the American imperialism, United States, and Empire of Japan, Japan during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... first put forward by the historians Peter J. Cain and A. G. Hopkins in the 1980s and developed in their 1993 work ''British Imperialism''. The theory posits that British imperialism was driven by the business interests of the City of London and landed interests. It encourages a shift of emphasis, away from seeing provincial manufacturers and geopolitical strategy as important influences, and towards seeing the expansion of empire as emanating from London and the financial sector.Shigeru Akita, ed., ''Gentlemanly Capitalism, Imperialism, and Global History'' (2002online/ref> References External links British Imperialism: A review and revision New Imperialism European col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, reigns as head of state for the rest of their life, or until abdication. The extent of the authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy), to fully autocratic (absolute monarchy), and may have Political representation, representational, Executive (government), executive, legislative, and judicial functions. The Order of succession, succession of monarchs has mostly been Hereditary monarchy, hereditary, often building dynasties; however, monarchies can also be elective monarchy, elective and Self-proclaimed monarchy, self-proclaimed. Aristocracy (class), Aristocrats, though not inherent to monarchies, often function as the pool of persons from which the monarch is chosen, and to fill the constituting institutions (e.g. Diet (assembly), diet and Royal court, court), giving many monarchies oligarchic elements. The Legitimacy (political)#Monarchy, political legitim ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
