Editing Lower Canada

{{Short description|1791–1841 British colony in North America}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox country
| conventional_long_name = Province of Lower Canada
| common_name            = Lower Canada
| native_name            = {{small|{{native name|fr|Province du Bas-Canada}}}}
| era                    = [[Canada under British rule|British Era]]
| status                 = Colony
| empire                 = United Kingdom
| government_type        = [[Château Clique]] oligarchy
| event_start            = [[Constitutional Act of 1791]]
| year_start             = 1791
| date_start             = 26 December
| event_end              = [[Act of Union 1840]]
| year_end               = 1841
| date_end               = 10 February
| event1                 = 
| date_event1            = 
| event2                 = 
| date_event2            = 
| event3                 = 
| date_event3            = 
| p1                     = Province of Quebec (1763–1791)
| flag_p1                = Flag of Great Britain (1707-1800).svg
| s1                     = Province of Canada
| flag_s1                = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| s2                     = Colony of Newfoundland
| flag_s2                = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| today                  = {{Plainlist|* 
[[Canada]]
* &nbsp;'''∟'''[[Quebec]]
* &nbsp;'''∟'''[[Newfoundland and Labrador]]}}
| image_flag             = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
| flag_type              = [[Union Jack#Canada|Union Flag]] (1801 version)<ref name="Canada.ca">{{cite web |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-history.html#a2 |title=Early flags |work=Government of Canada |date=28 August 2017 |access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref><ref name="Union Flag">{{cite web |url=http://fraser.cc/FlagsCan/Nation/Union.html |title=Royal Union Flag |work=The Flags of Canada |access-date=2021-01-15}}</ref>
| flag                   = <!--to wikilink the "flag type" to an article-->
| image_coat             = Great Seal Deputed of Lower Canada.svg
| symbol_type            = [[:fr:Sceau du Bas-Canada|Seal]]
| symbol_type_article    = <!--to wikilink the "symbol type" to an article-->
| image_map              = Évolution territoriale du Bas-Canada.gif
| image_map_caption      = 
| capital                = [[Quebec City]]
| national_motto         = 
| national_anthem        = "[[God Save the King|God Save the King/Queen]]" <div style="display:inline-block;margin-top:0.4em;">[[File:Rufst du, mein Vaterland (1938).oga]]</div>
| common_languages       = [[Canadian French|French]], [[Canadian English|English]]
| religion               = 
| currency               = [[Canadian pound]]
<!--- Titles and names of the first and last leaders and their deputies --->| leader1                = [[George III of the United Kingdom|George III]]
| year_leader1           = 1791–1820
| leader2                = [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]]
| year_leader2           = 1820–1830
| leader3                = [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]]
| year_leader3           = 1830–1837
| leader4                = [[Queen Victoria|Victoria]]
| year_leader4           = 1837–1841
| title_leader           = [[List of British Monarchs#House of Hanover|Sovereign]]
| deputy1                = See [[Lieutenant-Governors of Quebec#Lieutenant-Governors of Lower Canada|list of Lieutenant-Governors]]
| year_deputy1           = 
| title_deputy           = [[Lieutenant-Governor (Canada)|Lieutenant-Governor]] and [[Executive Council of Lower Canada]]
| legislature            = Parliament of Lower Canada
| house1                 = [[Legislative Council of Lower Canada|Legislative Council]]
| house2                 = [[Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada|Legislative Assembly]]
<!--- Area and population of a given year --->| stat_year1             = 1839<ref name=openl>{{cite book |title=The emigrant's handbook of facts concerning Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Cape of Good Hope, &c |url=https://archive.org/stream/cihm_95282#page/n35/mode/2up |publisher=Open Library |access-date=22 December 2013 |pages=2–3|isbn=978-0-665-95282-1 }}</ref>
| stat_area1             = 534,185
| stat_pop1              = {{circa}} 700,000
| stat_year2             = 
| stat_pop2              = 
| political_subdiv       = 
| footnotes              = 
}}
The '''Province of Lower Canada''' ({{langx|fr|province du Bas-Canada}}) was a [[British colonization of the Americas|British colony]] on the lower [[Saint Lawrence River]] and the shores of the [[Gulf of Saint Lawrence]] established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion of the current [[Province of Quebec]] and the [[Labrador]] region of the current [[Province of Newfoundland and Labrador]] (until the Labrador region was transferred to Newfoundland in 1809).<ref name="marianopolis">{{cite web |year=2007 |url=http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/NFLDHistory/Quebec-NewfoundlandLabradorBoundaryIssue.htm |title=Labrador–Canada Boundary |publisher=marianopolis |access-date=20 March 2008 |quote=Labrador Act, 1809. – An imperial act (49 Geo. III, cap. 27), 1809, provided for the re-annexation to Newfoundland of 'such parts of the coast of Labrador from the River St John to Hudson's Streights, and the said Island of Anticosti, and all other smaller islands so annexed to the Government of Newfoundland by the said Proclamation of the seventh day of October one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three (except the said Islands of Madelaine) shall be separated from the said Government of Lower Canada, and be again re-annexed to the Government of Newfoundland.'}}</ref>

Lower Canada consisted of part of the former colony of [[Canada (New France)|Canada]] of [[New France]], conquered by Great Britain in the [[Seven Years' War]] ending in 1763 (also called the [[French and Indian War]] in the United States). Other parts of New France conquered by Britain became the Colonies of [[Nova Scotia]], [[New Brunswick]], and [[Prince Edward Island]].

The Province of Lower Canada was created by the ''[[Constitutional Act 1791]]'' from the partition of the British colony of the [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] (1763–1791)<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lower-canada |title=Lower Canada |author=Fernand Ouellet |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Canada |publication-place=Toronto |date=4 March 2015 |access-date=18 August 2019}}</ref> into the Province of Lower Canada and the [[Upper Canada|Province of Upper 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 [[Union of Upper and Lower Canada|united]] into the [[Province of Canada]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/province-of-canada-1841-67 |title=Province of Canada 1841–1867 |author=James Maurice Stockford Careless |author2=Richard Foot |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Canada |publication-place=Toronto |date=4 March 2015 |access-date=18 August 2019}}</ref>

==History==

=== Establishment ===
Before Lower Canada, there was the [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]]. The Province of Quebec was established from conquered French lands from the [[French and Indian War]]. The [[Quebec Act]] officially set up governance in those lands and incorporated French elements into the province's government. The Province of Quebec was split in 1791 by the [[Constitutional Act 1791]] into Lower Canada and [[Upper Canada]]. The Constitutional Act placed English Law in Upper Canada, and French Law and institutions in Lower Canada. Catholics were also granted the ability to freely practise. 

=== Transition into the British Empire ===
Society in [[New France]] was deeply dependent on nobles, clergy, and the military. After the British conquest, British aristocrats and military personnel replaced their French equivalents. A conflict arose between the British aristocrats and the French-Canadian middle class, which was worsened by the introduction of parliamentarianism. By the end of the 18th century, the nobility's power was totally dependent on the colonial government. These problems came to a head when the British merchants wanted to build canals on the [[St. Lawrence River]] to help with navigation across the river. The French nationalists held a majority in the legislative assembly and refused to allow the construction. This led to feelings of vulnerability in Lower Canada amongst British aristocracy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Lower Canada |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lower-canada#ClassStrugglesandPoliticalConflicts |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |language=en}}</ref>

[[Anglophones|Anglophone]] aristocrats, often sought the support of the governor, colonial bureaucrats or the government in London, mostly because they could never form a majority in the legislative assembly. Their political defeats led them to defend their colonial ties to Britain and support conservative ideas. At the turn of the century the Anglophones began to control more and more the economic activity in Lower Canada, which lead to the French-Canadians viewing them as a threat.<ref name=":0" />

=== Political Tensions ===
The tensions between Anglophone aristocrats and the French-Canadian middle class culminated in the formation of the [[Parti canadien]],<ref name=":0" /> the first Canadian political party.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Parti canadien |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/parti-canadien |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca |language=en}}</ref> The party advocated for the independence of the legislature from the Lieutenant-Governor and fought plans to unify [[Upper Canada]] and Lower Canada.<ref name=":0" />

In 1810, the [[James Henry Craig|Governor James Henry Craig]] had editors of the Parti canadien's newspaper arrested to suppress them before dissolving the legislature. [[Louis-Joseph Papineau]], leader of the party, decided then to focus on more limited results and to stray away from being views as an extremist party. He gained the support of Irish Catholics in Lower Canada which also gave him the support of the clergy.<ref name=":0" />

In 1827, after pressure from militant groups, Papineau became more radical and began to turn towards the idea of independence. Taking from the ideas of the American government, all positions that held power then became elected positions. This nationalism gave the Parti canadien support amongst French-Canadians but almost completely lost them the support of Anglophones in Lower Canada.<ref name=":0" />

The clergy in Lower Canada were also very unhappy with the political situation at the time and wanted their old privileges restored. They wanted the ability to educate in Lower Canada and were briefly granted that ability in 1824, with the passage of [[Parish Schools Act]]. In 1829, the Parti canadien established assembly schools, which removed the [[Catholic Church]] from education, creating another political divide. 

=== Rebellion ===
{{Main|Lower Canada Rebellion}}
The three divides in Lower Canada ultimately reached a breaking point. To combat this the British government adopted the [[Russell Resolutions]], which rejected the [[Ninety-Two Resolutions|92 Resolutions]] created by the [[Parti canadien]]. After the [[Lower Canada Rebellion|Patriote Rebellion]] in the [[Rebellions of 1837–1838]]<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/durham-report |title=Durham Report |author=David Mills |author2=Richard Foot |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Canada |publication-place=Toronto |date=20 March 2017 |access-date=18 August 2019}}</ref> was suppressed by government troops and [[Loyal (Lower Canada)|Loyal volunteers]], the [[Constitutional Act 1791|1791 Constitution]] was suspended on 27 March 1838 and a [[Special Council of Lower Canada|special council]] was appointed to administer the colony. An abortive attempt by revolutionary [[Robert Nelson (insurrectionist)|Robert Nelson]] to declare a [[Republic of Lower Canada]] was quickly thwarted.

The provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada were combined as the [[United Province of Canada]] in 1841, when the ''[[Act of Union 1840]]'' came into force. Their separate legislatures were combined into a single parliament with equal representation for both constituent parts, even though Lower Canada had a greater population.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/act-of-union |title=Act of Union |author=Jacques Monet, SJ |author2=Richard Foot |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Canada |publication-place=Toronto |date=4 March 2015 |access-date=18 August 2019}}</ref>

<gallery class=center>
file:WilliamLyonMackenzie.jpeg|[[William Lyon Mackenzie]], [[Upper Canada Rebellion|rebellion]] chief in [[Upper Canada]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=19028&type=pge#.W_M2PPniaUk |title=Mackenzie, William Lyon |website=Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec |access-date=19 November 2018}}</ref> 
File:Louis-Joseph Papineau by William Notman.jpg|[[Louis-Joseph Papineau]], [[Lower Canada Rebellion|rebellion]] chief in Lower Canada<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/louis-joseph-papineau |first1= James H. |last1=Marsh |orig-date= January 20, 2008 |date= February 9, 2017 |title=Louis-Joseph Papineau |encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia |publisher=Historica Canada |publication-place=Toronto |access-date=18 August 2019}}</ref>
</gallery>

==Constitution==
[[File:Constitution-of-lower-canada.png|thumb|left|[[Constitution]] of Lower Canada in 1791]]
The Province of Lower Canada inherited the mixed set of French and English institutions that existed in the Province of Quebec during the 1763–1791 period and which continued to exist later in Canada-East (1841–1867) and ultimately in the current Province of Quebec (since 1867). 

{{clear|left}}

==Population==
{{main|Population of Canada}}Lower Canada was populated mainly by [[Canadiens]], an [[ethnic group]] who trace their ancestry to [[French people|French]] colonists who settled in [[Canada (New France)|Canada]] from the 17th century onward.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Population of Lower Canada, 1806 to 1841
! Year || Census estimate<ref>{{Cite web |title=Censuses of Canada 1665 to 1871: The 1800s (1806 to 1871) |url=http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/98-187-x/4064809-eng.htm |website=Statistics Canada |date=2015-08-26 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217185348/https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/98-187-x/4064809-eng.htm |archive-date= Dec 17, 2023 }}</ref> 
|-
|1806 || 250,000
|-
|1814 || 335,000
|-
|1822 || 427,465
|-
|1825 || 479,288
|-
|1827 || 473,475
|-
|1831 || 553,134
|-
|1841 || 650,000
|-
|}

==Transportation==
[[File:Québec I-185-1-a.svg|thumbnail|right|125px|Current route marker seen along the ''Chemin'']]
Travelling around Lower Canada was mainly by water along the [[St. Lawrence River]]. On land, the only long-distance route was the [[Chemin du Roy]], or King's Highway; it was built in the 1730s by [[New France]].<ref name="lecheminduroy.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.lecheminduroy.com/en/history |title=History |website=Le Chemin du Roy |access-date=19 November 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817060045/https://www.lecheminduroy.com/en/history |archive-date= Aug 17, 2018 }}</ref> The King's Highway was, in addition to the mail route, the primary means of long-distance passenger travel until steamboats (1815) and railways (1850s) began to challenge the royal road.<ref name="lecheminduroy.com"/> The royal road's importance waned after the 1850s and would not re-emerge as a key means of transportation until the [[Highways in Quebec|highway system of Quebec]] was created in the 20th century.
{{-}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Canada|History}}
{{col div|colwidth=23em}}
*[[Canada East]], period after the ''[[Act of Union 1840]]''
*[[Former colonies and territories in Canada]]
*[[French and Indian War]]
* [[French and Indian Wars]]
*[[French colonial empire]]
*[[List of lieutenant governors of Quebec]]
*[[National Patriots' Day]]
*[[Ottawa River timber trade]]
*[[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)]]
* [[Rebellion]]
*[[Republic of Lower Canada]]
*[[The Canadas]]
*[[Timeline of Quebec history]]
*[[Upper Canada]]
{{col div end}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* [[Robert Christie (Quebec politician)|Robert Christie]]. ''A History of the Late Province of Lower Canada'', Quebec City: T. Cary/R. Montreal: Worthington, 1848–1855 (Internet Archive: [https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Christie%2C%20Robert%22 All 6 volumes])
* [[François-Xavier Garneau]]. ''History of Canada : from the time of its discovery till the union year'', Montreal : J. Lovell, 1860 (Internet Archive: [https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Garneau%2C%20F.-X%22 All 3 Volumes])
* Saul, John Ralston. ''Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin'' (2010) [https://archive.org/details/louishippolytela0000saul online]

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wiktionary|Lower Canada}}
*[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lower-canada Lower Canada] – The Canadian Encyclopedia
*[https://www.britannica.com/place/Canada-East Canada East and Lower Canada] – Encyclopædia Britannica
*[http://histoire-du-quebec.ca/gouverneurs-bas-canada/ Governors of Lower Canada] – ''Histoire du Québec'' {{in lang|fr}}
*[http://www.bibliotheque.assnat.qc.ca/guides/fr/documents-politiques-et-parlementaires-du-quebec/139-bas-canada-1791-1838- Lower Canada] – Quebec Parliament library {{in lang|fr}}

{{Canadian colonies}}
{{British overseas territories}}
{{Authority control}}

{{coord|50|N|69|W|region:CA-QC_scale:10000000|display=title}}

[[Category:Lower Canada| ]]
[[Category:1841 disestablishments in Canada]]
[[Category:History of Quebec by location]]
[[Category:British North America]]
[[Category:Former British colonies and protectorates in the Americas]]
[[Category:1791 establishments in the British Empire]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1791]]
[[Category:1841 disestablishments in the British Empire]]
[[Category:1791 establishments in North America]]
[[Category:1791 establishments in Canada]]
[[Category:States and territories disestablished in 1841]]