Upper Canada

  • Relatively small affair compared to lower canada

  • Proved the insecurity of britain's hold over colonies

  • Led to reforms that led to confederation

  • 1840 act of union united both Canada's

  • Reasons

    • The family compact was not liked

    • An alliance of landowners and wealthy business men

    • This system was not democratic

    • Flatly ignored, and undermined actual elected representatives

    • Family compact was focused on crafting a new aristocracy

    • They were loyal to the crown, not the colonists

    • Mackenzie started a newspaper focused on discussing the rights of Canadians, and denouncing the family compact's undemocratic ways

    • Elected to the house in York

    • Was ideologically supported by US gov at the time

    • Reasons for rebellion _ Mackenzie tried a more peaceful approach by directly offering his request to London and instead he was threatened with legal action by the family compact

      • Destroyed his property as well

      • It was clear to him thet they could not be free without a rebellion like that of the united state

    • Led volunteers

    • Unskilled fighters with competent leadership, it was difficult for them to actually make any tangible progress

      • The rebels surrendered

        • Outnumbered outgunned

      • 1838

        • Americans shipped supplies to the fighters

        • The vessel was captured by british forces

        • They killed an american and burned the ship down

        • Inflamed tensions

        • Lyon found a lot of support in America, this action strengthened animosity against britain in america

          • A lot of people were sympathetic to his cause and shared his passion

          • Some americans hoped that canada would join the united states after liberation

          • They would become the new superpower

          • A lot of americans genuinely wanted a separate, and independent canada

          • The Hunters

            • Raided ant attacked british vessels

            • The americans and british united against them, to suppress american support for canada

  • Why did they fail

    • Lack of broad public support

      • The nature of the problems

      • The Canadians were not in as dire of conditions as the americans were

      • Many Canadians. Especially the uneducated farmers and laborers were not as invested in the ideas of democracy

        • Especially not enough to fight for it

    • Lack of string funding

    • Lack of military training

  • It is important to note that the lower canada rebellions had so much more support

    • If the upper canada rebellions were to the scale of lower canada, this might have devolved into a full scale war

  • Durham report 1839

    • He suggested the uniting of the Canadas so thet french Canadians would be forced to assimilate into english culture

    • The plan failed

      • More importantly, he denounced the family compact and revoked its power

      • Recommended the introduction of responsible government

        • The establishment of democracy