Existing as a separate British province from 1791 to 1840, Lower Canada is the southern portion of present-day Quebec. Lower Canada was in the east, while Upper Canada was in the west. It was a British colony, however it consisted of part of the former French colony of New France, which was mainly populated by French Canadians.
Immigration to lower canada:
Between Montreal and Quebec City, some people settled in Lower Canada’s Eastern Townships. For many generations, the seigneurial system continued on. However, the main bulk of settlement occurred in Upper Canada.
Château Clique:
Similar to the Family Compact in Upper Canada, the Chateau Clique was a group of upper class families, who controlled government and business.
Patriotes:
Contributing to the Rebellions of 1837, the Patriotes was a popular movement and French party that was mainly by members of liberal professions and small-scale merchants. However, it was widely supported by farmers, day-labourers, and craftsmen. Distinguished leaders included Louis-Joseph Papineau, Jean-Olivier Chénier, and Wolfred Nelson.
government structure:
Created by the Constitutional Act of 1791, the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was composed of the lower house and upper house. The lower house consisted of elected legislative councillors, who created bills to be passed up to the Legislative Council. The Legislative council was the upper house of the government, whose members were appointed by the governor general, voting on bills passed up by the Legislative Assembly. The council came to be dominated by the Chateau Clique, who were members of the province’s most powerful families.