Editing Responsible government (section)

====Background====
[[File:John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham by Thomas Phillips.jpg|thumb|[[John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham|The Earl of Durham]], Governor General of British North America, made [[Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839)|a report]] shortly after the [[Rebellions of 1837–1838|1837–38 rebellions]] that recommended the implementation of responsible government.]]

Following the formation of elected legislative assemblies, starting with [[Nova Scotia House of Assembly|Nova Scotia]] in 1758, governors and their executive councils did not require the consent of elected legislators in order to carry out all their roles. It was only in the decades leading up to [[Canadian Confederation]] in 1867 that the governing councils of those British North American colonies became responsible to the elected representatives of the people.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.parl.gc.ca/About/House/compendium/web-content/c_d_responsiblegovernmentministerialaccountability-e.htm | title = Responsible Government and Ministerial Responsibility | date = October 2015 | publisher = Parliament of Canada | access-date = 2016-11-07}}</ref> In the aftermath of the [[American Revolution]], sparked by the perceived shortcomings of [[virtual representation]], the British government became more sensitive to unrest in its remaining colonies with large populations of European-descended colonists. Elected assemblies were introduced to both [[Upper Canada]] and [[Lower Canada]] with the [[Constitutional Act 1791]]. Many reformers thought that these assemblies should have some control over the executive power, leading to political unrest between the governors and assemblies in both Upper and Lower Canada. The [[Lieutenant Governor of Ontario|Lieutenant Governor]] of Upper Canada, [[Sir Francis Bond Head]], wrote in one dispatch to London that, if responsible government were implemented, "democracy, in the worst possible form, will prevail in our colonies."<ref>{{cite book |date=1839 |title= Despatches from Sir F.B. Head, relative to Canada, with Answers from Secretary of State|url=https://parlipapers.proquest.com/parlipapers/docview/t70.d75.1839-018414 |publisher= Parliament of the United Kingdom }}</ref>

After the [[Rebellions of 1837–1838]] in [[the Canadas]], [[John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham|the Earl of Durham]] was appointed governor general of British North America, with the task of examining the issues and determining how to defuse tensions. In [[Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839)|his report]], one of his recommendations was colonies that were developed enough should be granted "responsible government". This term specifically meant the policy that British-appointed governors should bow to the will of elected colonial assemblies.