Loyalists who moved into Quebec remained separate from the French-speaking people there. This created a bicultural make up of the colony of Quebec. The English settlers wanted the British government to establish a new colony just for them due to their loyalty during the American Revolution.

These new settlers spoke English and mainly practiced the Protestant religion. This was a contrast to the French settlers who spoke French and practiced a Roman Catholicism.

The English settlers did not agree with the Seigneurial system of land ownership. They wanted the right to own their land and felt that their religion should be recognized with rights similar to ones held by the Roman Catholic church.

The English settlers were also influenced by the American system of government where officials were elected and not appointed.

Great Britain's solution was the Constitutional Act of 1791. The law divided the colony of Quebec into two separate colonies along the Ottawa River. These two new colonies were named Upper Canada and Lower Canada. Upper Canada contained mainly english-speaking colonists. Lower Canada was primarily French.

Upper Canada had a freehold land system. It followed British Common Law. Lower Canada continued using the seigneurial system and French Civil Law. The act allowed for religious freedom in the colony. It did not create an official language. Each province had governors who answered to the British government and an elected assembly.

The Constitutional Act allowed each province to maintain its own cultural identity.

SAME FOR BOTH

• Establishment of an elected assembly in each province

• These new assemblies came with restrictions on who could vote and run for office.

• Both had an appointed Executive and Legislative Councils