The Organization of Society under

British Rule

1800-60

Blue textbook pg 57-60
Start of the 19
th
century factors such as
immigration, urbanization, and
industrialization transformed Quebec
The Conquests was a long gone conclusion
FC were Canadians and the Anglophones
community took root in Canada and Quebec
Social groups started to define themselves in
terms of language, religion and socio-
economic class
Persistence intercultural and political tensions
led to the rebellion of 1837-39
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3oFDUB
uRoQ
The Durham Report a few years later, which
assessed the reasons for the rebellion called
for the assimilation of the French Canadian

Important aspects of Durham Report
A union of Upper and Lower Canada.
Responsible government, dominated by the
English inhabitants of the Canadas.
Colonial control of internal affairs (but in a
very limited way).
Assimilation of the French-speaking
population

His proposed assimilation was rejected
Elected representatives from the Two Canadas
called for a responsible government
However, the union of Lower and Upper
Canada implemented

1840-The Act of Union adopted, which
merged the two Canadas into a single colony.
English became the sole official language and
French Canadians found themselves in a
minority for the first time

An Influential Business Class

As stated previously, the Conquest led to a
new ruling class and social hierarchy in Lower
Canada
Small elite group of British colonial
administrators, landowners and merchants
dominate society.

For example: James McGill fur trader and
politician and John Molson a brewer
They enjoyed great advantage because of
their wealth and connection to the British
government
French Canadians Exclusion-Discuss with class

A New Liberal Bourgeoisie

At the end of the 18
th
century a new class of
people slowly emerged
This social class was consisted of doctors,
notaries, lawyers next to the petite bourgeois
business class mostly made up of French
Canadians.

A small but vocal French Canadian (FC)
bourgeoisie served as elected representatives
These FC were elected to defend FC interests
and to fight against colonial favouritism
towards the people of British origin

Habitants and the Working class

At the end of the 18
th
century immigration
brought in many Anglophones\Irish from
modest background
They worked in the fishery in Gaspsie,
logging in Outaouais and farmers in Eastern
townships
Quite a few settled in cities and lived side by
side with the FC

These people made up the working class
Working class neighbourhoods developed
near factories
The largest group of working class people in
the city of MTl were the Irish

Although Anglophones, they remained
separate from the larger English community as
they are Catholics
Religious barriers were more difficult to
overcome than language
In 1860, 7 % of the Catholic marriages were
between Irish and FC
Read page 58 division of city based on
language

Aboriginal peoples and colonial expansion

At the end of the 18
th
century the conflicts
and the fur trade in NA allowed the Aboriginal
to demonstrate their alliance with the British
At the end of the War of 1812, British attitude
towards the Aboriginals started to change
The Aboriginals became marginalized as they
were not needed anymore for the fur trade or
for wars

Continuous expansion of occupied territory
due to logging and colonization negatively
impacted the Aboriginals
Drastic drop in Aboriginal population
contributed to the belief that they should be
assimilated as they will eventually be extinct

For the authorities assimilation meant
sedentarisation and farming, and learning the
language, religion and values of white people
In the 1850s, the Parliament of the United
Canada enacted laws creating Reserves for
Aboriginals
The Parliament also designated Aboriginal
people Indain status