The names “upper” and “lower” come from their position along the St. Lawrence River. Upper Canada was up river, closer to the source and Lower Canada was down river, closer to the mouth of the great waterway. To travel “up river” you had to paddle against the current.
What was considered Upper and Lower Canada?
Lower Canada covered the southeastern portion of the present-day province of Quebec, Canada, and (until 1809) the Labrador region of Newfoundland and Labrador. Upper Canada covered what is now the southern portion of the province of Ontario and the lands bordering Georgian Bay and Lake Superior.
Why was Upper Canada called Lower Canada?
The “upper” prefix in the name reflects its geographic position along the Great Lakes, mostly above the headwaters of the Saint Lawrence River, contrasted with Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) to the northeast.
Why was Upper and Lower Canada divided?
To accommodate the English-speaking Loyalists in Quebec, the province was divided into francophone Lower Canada and anglophone Upper Canada under the Constitutional Act in 1791.
When was Canada divided into Upper and Lower Canada?
1791
In 1791 the Province of Quebec was divided into two parts by the Constitutional Act of 1791. The eastern portion was Lower Canada and the western Upper Canada. Lower Canada was combined with Upper Canada in 1841 to form the United Province of Canada.
Why was Lower Canada called Lower Canada?
The prefix “lower” in its name refers to its geographic position farther downriver from the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River than its contemporary Upper Canada, present-day southern Ontario. Lower Canada was abolished in 1841 when it and adjacent Upper Canada were united into the Province of Canada.
What was known as Lower Canada?
Lower Canada was a British colony from 1791 to 1840. Its geographical boundaries comprised the southern portion of present-day Quebec. In 1791, Britain divided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada. (See: Constitutional Act 1791.)
What did the Lower Canada want?
Papineau and the Nationalists
Their leaders sought to take power from the Catholic Church in areas such as education. They also wanted to check the power of the anglophone merchant class. It was expanding its economic base due to the rapid growth in the timber trade. (See also: Francophone-Anglophone Relations.)
How did Canada get divided?
The Province of Canada was made up of Canada West (formerly Upper Canada) and Canada East (formerly Lower Canada). The two regions were governed jointly until the Province was dissolved to make way for Confederation in 1867. Canada West then became Ontario and Canada East became Quebec.
What is Upper Canada known as today?
Canada West, also called Upper Canada, in Canadian history, the region in Canada now known as Ontario. From 1791 to 1841 the region was known as Upper Canada and from 1841 to 1867 as Canada West, though the two names continued to be employed interchangeably.
Did Upper and Lower Canada fight?
In 1837 and 1838, insurgents in Upper and Lower Canada led rebellions against the Crown and the political status quo. The revolt in Lower Canada was more serious and violent than the rebellion in Upper Canada. However, both events inspired the pivotal Durham Report.
How is Upper Canada different from Lower Canada quizlet?
How is upper Canada different from Lower Canada? Upper Canada had mainly an English speaking majority while lower Canada had a French speaking majority. What mineral discoveries spurred development of Canada? Gold, Copper, Zinc, and Silver.
What did Upper Canada want?
Reformer William Lyon Mackenzie wanted Upper Canada to be a US-style republican democracy. He desired a province composed of firmly patriotic farmers, ready to become British-American revolutionaries.
What happened in Lower Canada?
In February 1838, rebel leaders who had escaped across the border into the United States raided Lower Canada. During the summer of 1838, the Patriotes in the United States formed a secret society, called Frères chasseurs, intending to invade Lower Canada from the United States.
What was Canada called before Canada?
Prior to 1870, it was known as the North-Western Territory. The name has always been a description of the location of the territory.
Who first owned Canada?
Royal New France
In 1604, the first European settlement north of Florida was established by French explorers Pierre de Monts and Samuel de Champlain, first on St. Croix Island (in present-day Maine), then at Port-Royal, in Acadia (present-day Nova Scotia). In 1608 Champlain built a fortress at what is now Québec City.
Who were the first people in Canada?
“Indigenous peoples” is a collective name for the original peoples of North America and their descendants. Often, “Aboriginal peoples” is also used. The Canadian Constitution recognizes 3 groups of Aboriginal peoples: Indians (more commonly referred to as First Nations), Inuit and Métis.
When did Upper Canada abolish slavery?
July 9, 1793
A compromise was reached and on July 9, 1793 an Act was passed that prevented the further introduction of slaves into Upper Canada and allowed for the gradual abolition of slavery although no slaves already residing in the province were freed outright.
What were the problems in Upper Canada?
Relations between the appointed Legislative Council and the elected Legislative Assembly became increasingly strained in the years after the war, over issues of immigration, taxation, banking and land speculation.
Who won the Lower Canada rebellion?
In 1837 at Saint-Denis, George-Étienne Cartier fought bravely alongside Wolfred Nelson and the rebels as they successfully routed Colonel Charles Gore’s force of British regulars in the Rebellions of 1837. The Fils de la Liberté, a party formed by 700-800 Patriotes, held their first public assembly.
Who started the Lower Canada rebellion?
The Rebellion in Lower Canada was led by Louis-Joseph Papineau and his Patriotes, as well as more moderate French Canadian nationalists, who together dominated the elected Legislative Assembly.