CANADA ACT, IMMIGRATION, ABORIGINAL-EUROPEAN RELATIONS, SOCIAL STRUCTURE, GOVERNMENT
canada
canada act:
Dividing the colony of Quebec into two parts on either sides of the Ottawa River, the Canada Act created Lower Canada in the east and Upper Canada in the west.
Immigration to Canada:
Before the establishment of colonies and settlement, Canada was originally home to the Aboriginals. When settlement was advertised, immigrants came mainly from Great Britain or the United States. In Europe, Canada was painted with an optimistic picture of life, a great future with cheap, fertile land. However, moving to Canada was an extremely difficult journey. People spent all the money they had and prepared themselves to be separated from their loved ones for a long period of time. Many people died while travelling to Canada. Despite this, huge waves of immigrants arrived in Canada after the War of 1812, most of them settling in Upper Canada. Lower Canada became mainly a French settlement more than 100 years after its establishment. However, the composition of Canada began to become more British by the mid-1700s because of the fall of Acadia and the defeat of New France in 1760. By the late 18th and 19th century, Canada received most of its immigrants either from Britain or the United States.
Canadians were racist by the nineteenth century because they believed that the Europeans had a duty to “civilize” the world. White people were not the only ones to immigrate to Canada. During the late-seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, slavery existed in New France and during the American Revolution, many Loyalists brought African slaves with them to Canada. However, slavery in the British Empire was abolished in 1833. Courts in Upper Canada and Lower Canada refused to support slavery long before that.
aboriginal-european relations:
The Europeans coming to Canada impacted the Aboriginals greatly. Despite some of the benefits that the Aboriginals gained, many of them were dying due to the diseases that the Europeans brought. Although not all interactions were negative, they dramatically altered Aboriginal society and cultural traditions. Many Europeans and Aboriginals formed allies. Because of this, however, the Europeans displaced Aboriginal languages. Society and cultural traditions fluctuated greatly. Decreasing their shamanistic religions and ways, Christianity was introduced and slowly worked its way into the Aboriginals’ lives. Missionaries also served as school teachers to the Aboriginal children.
Interactions and marriages between the Aboriginals and Europeans became more and more common. Form of aid was given to the Aboriginals from the Europeans, such as the distribution of food, administering of laws, and regulating trade. However, many interactions did have a negative effect on the Aboriginals. They were forced out of good farmland. Because of this, the Six Nation leaders along the Grand River in Upper Canada, were wary and had to remain careful and alert that their lands would not be sold off by Britain. This resulted in Aboriginal leaders signing treaties, attempting to secure territory for their people.
Interactions and marriages between the Aboriginals and Europeans became more and more common. Form of aid was given to the Aboriginals from the Europeans, such as the distribution of food, administering of laws, and regulating trade. However, many interactions did have a negative effect on the Aboriginals. They were forced out of good farmland. Because of this, the Six Nation leaders along the Grand River in Upper Canada, were wary and had to remain careful and alert that their lands would not be sold off by Britain. This resulted in Aboriginal leaders signing treaties, attempting to secure territory for their people.
Social Structure of Upper Canada and Lower Canada:
Colonial government and the need for reform:
Government in the colonies of British North America were neither representative nor responsible.
Placing power in the hands of a small group of rich and influential men, the colonial government was a type of system known as “oligarchy”. An aristocrat or nobleman was appointed as governor to control the oligarchy. However, this governor ruled according to the wishes of the members.
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PROBLEMS WITH UPPER CANADA'S GOVERNMENT
- Representative government - possessing an elected assembly, the representatives of this specific system of government are elected by the people to make laws on their behalf.
- Responsible government - this system of government is responsible to the people and is dependent on the support of an elected assembly, rather than on the monarch. The members can be voted out if elected representatives fail to please a majority of the people who elected them.
Placing power in the hands of a small group of rich and influential men, the colonial government was a type of system known as “oligarchy”. An aristocrat or nobleman was appointed as governor to control the oligarchy. However, this governor ruled according to the wishes of the members.
See for more info:
PROBLEMS WITH UPPER CANADA'S GOVERNMENT