Upper Canada
Encyclopedia
The Province of Upper Canada (French: province du Haut-Canada) was a political division
in British Canada
established in 1791 by the British Empire
to govern the central third of the lands in British North America
and to accommodate Loyalist
refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution
. The new province remained the government of the colonial territory for the next fifty years of growth and settlement.
Upper Canada existed from 26 December 1791 to 10 February 1841 and generally comprised present-day Southern Ontario
. The prefix "upper" in its name reflects its geographic position higher up the river basin
or closer to the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River than that of Lower Canada
or present-day Quebec
to the northeast.
Upper Canada included all of modern-day southern Ontario and all those areas of northern Ontario in the pays d'en haut which had formed part of New France
, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior. It did not include any lands within the watershed of Hudson Bay
.
ended the Seven Years' War
in America. The new possession was initially organized under a military governor, distinct from British Canadian provinces. The territories of modern southern Ontario and southern Quebec were initially maintained as the single Province of Quebec, as it had been under the French.
The part of the province west of Montreal and Quebec in the upper river basin soon began receiving many English-speaking settlers from Great Britain. A decade later, many English-speaking Protestant United Empire Loyalists
arrived in the area as refugees from the American Revolution
. This region quickly became culturally distinct, and troubles arose from an accelerating cultural clash. The province was maintained by the British colonial government as initially acquired: today's southern Ontario and southern Quebec were attached under one government. From 1763 to 1791, the Province of Quebec
maintained its French language, French cultural behavioural expectations and practices, and Roman Catholic–based laws.
This status was renewed and reinforced by the Quebec Act
of 1774, which expanded Quebec's territory to include part of the Indian Reserve
to the west (i.e., parts of southern Ontario
), and other western territories south of the Great Lakes
including much of what is now The United States'
mid-west states: Illinois
, Indiana
, Michigan
, Ohio
, Wisconsin
and parts of Minnesota
. While the act addressed some religious issues, it did not appease those used to English culture.
"Upper Canada" became a political entity on 26 December 1791 with the Parliament of Great Britain
's passage of the Constitutional Act of 1791
. The act divided the Province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada, which resolved the matter for English speakers at the time, but made permanent the two-language split society of today's Canada. The division was effected so that Loyalist American settlers and British immigrants in Upper Canada could have English laws and institutions, and the French-speaking population of Lower Canada could maintain French civil law and the Catholic religion.
, and legislative assembly
. The first lieutenant-governor was John Graves Simcoe
. On February 1, 1796, the capital of Upper Canada was moved from Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake
) to York
(now Toronto
), which was judged to be less vulnerable to attack by the Americans.
Local government in the Province of Upper Canada was based on districts. In 1788, four districts were created:
Additional districts were created from the existing districts as the population grew until 1849, when local government mainly based on counties
came into effect. At that time, there were 20 districts; legislation to create a new Kent District never completed. Up until 1841, the district officials were appointed by the lieutenant-governor, although usually with local input. A Court of Quarter Sessions was held four times a year in each district to oversee the administration of the district and deal with legal cases.
with the United States, Upper Canada was the chief target of the Americans, since it was weakly defended and populated largely by American immigrants. However, division in the United States over the war, a lacklustre American militia, the incompetence of American military commanders, and swift and decisive action by the British commander, Sir Isaac Brock, kept Upper Canada part of British North America.
Detroit was captured by the British on August 6, 1812. The Michigan Territory
was held under British control until it was abandoned in 1813. The Americans won the decisive Battle of Lake Erie
(Sept. 10, 1813) and forced the British to retreat from the western areas. On the retreat they were intercepted at the Battle of the Thames
(October 5, 1813) and destroyed in a major American victory that killed Tecumseh
, broke the power of Britain's Indian allies, and gave the Americans control.
Major battles fought on territory in Upper Canada included;
Many other battles were fought in American territory bordering Upper Canada, including the Northwest Territory
(most in modern day Michigan), upstate New York
and naval battles in the Great Lakes.
The Treaty of Ghent
(ratified in 1815) ended the war and restored the status quo ante bellum
between the combatants.
, Joseph Willcocks
, Robert Gourlay, and especially, William Lyon Mackenzie
. They challenged the establishment about taxes, land policy, the privileges of the Anglican Church and the Family Compact
, appropriations, and freedom of the press. They claimed that all citizens and not just the enfranchised were entitled to a voice, but they did not form a political party; there were no parties. In 1831 the Tories expelled Mackenzie from the Assembly, and the conflict escalated. Their brief armed rebellion in 1837 failed. Officials blamed American influence, "In this country unfortunately the settlement of American citizens has been too much permitted and encouraged, and thus in the bosom of this community there exists a treacherous foe... in many parts of the Province the teachers are Americans.... These men are utterly ignorant of everything English and could not if they tried instruct their pupils in any of the duties which the connection of the Province with England casts upon them." [Rea] The oligarchic Family Compact was defended by Tories who explained, "The Radicals, Revolutionists or Destructives was composed of all the American settlers and speculators in land, some of the more simple and ignorant of the older class of farmers, and the rabble of adventurers who poured in every year from the United States or from Britain, to evade the laws of their respective countries." [Rea]
Lord Durham's support for "responsible government" undercut the Tories and gradually led the public to reject what it viewed as poor administration, unfair land and education policies, and inadequate attention to urgent transportation needs. Finally there emerged responsible government
under Robert Baldwin
and Louis LaFontaine by the late 1840s
and the St. Lawrence River. Land speculators also contributed to this by buying land cheap and selling it for expensive prices. However, impetus to land settlement came with the influx of Loyalist refugees and military personnel in 1784 after the American Revolution. As a result, prior to the creation of Upper Canada in 1791 as a separate colony, much land had been ceded by the First Nations to the Crown in accordance with the Royal Proclamation of 1763
. This land was surveyed by the government of the Province of Quebec, particularly in eastern Ontario along the St. Lawrence River, as the Western Townships, while the Eastern Townships
were in Lower Canada.
Rudimentary municipal administration began with the creation of districts, notably Western (including present day Brantford
), Eastern, Gore (including present day Hamilton
) and Home (including present day Toronto
).
The Act Against Slavery
passed in Upper Canada on July 9, 1793.
Organized settlement tracts were laid out with portions set aside for the clergy reserves, one exception was the Talbot Settlement on the north shore of Lake Erie, which was set up in 1804.
These land tracts expanded in reach well beyond the St. Lawrence – Lake Ontario – Lake Erie shores after the War of 1812. In 1828, Britain appointed Upper Canada's first chief agent of emigration, A.C. Buchanan. His title reflected the centrality of Britain's perspective on migration in the colonies at the time, especially since most new arrivals in Upper Canada were from the United Kingdom.
British regiment soldiers who were veterans of the war were offered free land, and some remained despite the harsh winters. Unlike the period prior to the war, immigration was now directed at Europe and more specifically to the United Kingdom
and Ireland
, not from the United States, which was the largest source of immigration before the war. Very cheap or even free land was offered with advertisements to entice immigrants to settle there, even those in financially meagre circumstances. Passage could be obtained across the Atlantic on returning empty lumber ships for little fare. During the early 1830s, the population increased more than 10% of its total each year. In the 1820s many German-speaking Mennonite
immigrants came to the Grand River region of Upper Canada from Pennsylvania, they were joined as well by many German speaking Amish
immigrants. This region was sometimes called "Little Pennsylvania", however this term is no longer used today. Many of their descendants continue to speak a form of German called Pennsylvania German
.
It is estimated that thousands of escaped slaves entered Upper Canada from the United States, using the Underground Railroad
.
Upper Canada ceased to be a political entity with the Act of Union (1840), when, by an act of the British Parliament, it was merged with Lower Canada to form the united Province of Canada
. This was principally in response to the Upper and Lower Canada rebellions of 1837 and 1837–38, respectively. At Confederation
in 1867, the Province of Canada was re-divided along the former boundary as the provinces of Ontario
and Quebec
.
The name 'Upper Canada' lives on in a few historical forms, most notably the Law Society of Upper Canada
, Upper Canada Lumber, Upper Canada College
, Upper Canada Mall
(in Newmarket, Ontario
), and the Upper Canada Brewing Company
.
When the capital was first moved to Toronto from Newark (present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake
) in 1796, the Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada were located at the corner of Parliament and Front Streets, in buildings that were burned by U.S. forces in the War of 1812, rebuilt, then burned again by accident. The site was eventually abandoned for another, to the west.
(see United Province of Canada for population after 1840)
Source: Statistics Canada website Censuses of Canada 1665 to 1871.
The area of Canada West covered all of modern-day Southern Ontario
and all those areas of Northern Ontario
in the pays d'en haut which had formed part of New France
, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River
, Lake Huron
, and Lake Superior
.
Canada West was a political entity and a geographic way of referring to the western and more English speaking part of the former Province of Upper Canada, following its merger into the United Province of Canada
. Canada West was given 42 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Canada, exactly the same number as Canada East
.
The area was named the Province of Ontario under the British North America Act of 1867
.
The population of Canada West grew substantially during the period it existed, mostly due to unprecedented immigration and a high birth rate. In 1841 it was 455,000 but grew to approximately 1,500,000 people at the time of Confederation
in 1867.
Censuses were conducted in 1851 and 1861 and the population in those years was 952,004 and 1,396,091 respectively.
Political division
A political division is a term of art of geography defining the concept of a geographic region accepted to be in the jurisdiction of a particular government entity...
in British Canada
The Canadas
The Canadas is the collective name for Upper Canada and Lower Canada, two British colonies in Canada. They were both created by the Constitutional Act of 1791 and abolished in 1841 with the union of Upper and Lower Canada....
established in 1791 by the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
to govern the central third of the lands in British North America
British North America
British North America is a historical term. It consisted of the colonies and territories of the British Empire in continental North America after the end of the American Revolutionary War and the recognition of American independence in 1783.At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British...
and to accommodate Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. The new province remained the government of the colonial territory for the next fifty years of growth and settlement.
Upper Canada existed from 26 December 1791 to 10 February 1841 and generally comprised present-day Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
. The prefix "upper" in its name reflects its geographic position higher up the river basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
or closer to the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River than that of Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
or present-day Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
to the northeast.
Upper Canada included all of modern-day southern Ontario and all those areas of northern Ontario in the pays d'en haut which had formed part of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River, Lake Huron, and Lake Superior. It did not include any lands within the watershed of Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
.
Background history
Control of all of Canada passed from France to Great Britain when the Treaty of Paris (1763)Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
ended the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
in America. The new possession was initially organized under a military governor, distinct from British Canadian provinces. The territories of modern southern Ontario and southern Quebec were initially maintained as the single Province of Quebec, as it had been under the French.
The part of the province west of Montreal and Quebec in the upper river basin soon began receiving many English-speaking settlers from Great Britain. A decade later, many English-speaking Protestant United Empire Loyalists
United Empire Loyalists
The name United Empire Loyalists is an honorific given after the fact to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War and prior to the Treaty of Paris...
arrived in the area as refugees from the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. This region quickly became culturally distinct, and troubles arose from an accelerating cultural clash. The province was maintained by the British colonial government as initially acquired: today's southern Ontario and southern Quebec were attached under one government. From 1763 to 1791, the Province of Quebec
Province of Quebec (1763-1791)
The Province of Quebec was a colony in North America created by Great Britain after the Seven Years' War. Great Britain acquired Canada by the Treaty of Paris when King Louis XV of France and his advisors chose to keep the territory of Guadeloupe for its valuable sugar crops instead of New France...
maintained its French language, French cultural behavioural expectations and practices, and Roman Catholic–based laws.
This status was renewed and reinforced by the Quebec Act
Quebec Act
The Quebec Act of 1774 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain setting procedures of governance in the Province of Quebec...
of 1774, which expanded Quebec's territory to include part of the Indian Reserve
Indian Reserve (1763)
The Indian Reserve was a territory under British rule in North America set aside in the Royal Proclamation of 1763 for use by American Indians between 1763 and 1783....
to the west (i.e., parts of southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
), and other western territories south of the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
including much of what is now The United States'
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
mid-west states: Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and parts of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. While the act addressed some religious issues, it did not appease those used to English culture.
"Upper Canada" became a political entity on 26 December 1791 with the Parliament of Great Britain
Parliament of Great Britain
The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...
's passage of the Constitutional Act of 1791
Constitutional Act of 1791
The Constitutional Act of 1791, formally The Clergy Endowments Act, 1791 , is an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain...
. The act divided the Province of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada, which resolved the matter for English speakers at the time, but made permanent the two-language split society of today's Canada. The division was effected so that Loyalist American settlers and British immigrants in Upper Canada could have English laws and institutions, and the French-speaking population of Lower Canada could maintain French civil law and the Catholic religion.
Government organization
The colony was administered by a lieutenant-governor, legislative councilLegislative Council of Upper Canada
The Legislative Council of Upper Canada was the upper house governing the province of Upper Canada. Modelled after the British House of Lords, it was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was specified that the council should consist of at least seven members. Members were appointed for...
, and legislative assembly
Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. It was the elected legislature for the province of Upper Canada and functioned as the province's lower house in the Parliament of Upper Canada...
. The first lieutenant-governor was John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe
John Graves Simcoe was a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada from 1791–1796. Then frontier, this was modern-day southern Ontario and the watersheds of Georgian Bay and Lake Superior...
. On February 1, 1796, the capital of Upper Canada was moved from Newark (now Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
) to York
York, Upper Canada
York was the name of Old Toronto between 1793 and 1834. It was the second capital of Upper Canada.- History :The town was established in 1793 by Governor John Graves Simcoe, with a new 'Fort York' on the site of the last French 'Fort Toronto'...
(now Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
), which was judged to be less vulnerable to attack by the Americans.
Local government in the Province of Upper Canada was based on districts. In 1788, four districts were created:
- Lunenburgh DistrictEastern District, Upper CanadaEastern District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Lunenburg District until 1792, it was abolished in 1849...
, renamed "Eastern" in 1792 - Mecklenburg DistrictMidland District, Upper CanadaMidland District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Mecklenburg District until 1792, it was abolished in 1849...
, later "Midland" - Nassau DistrictHome DistrictThe Home District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Nassau District until 1792, it was composed of the areas along western Lake Ontario and...
, later "Home" - Hesse DistrictWestern District, Upper CanadaWestern District was one of four districts of the Province of Quebec created in 1788 in the western reaches of the Montreal District and partitioned in 1791 to create the new colony of Upper Canada. Known as Hesse District until 1792, it was abolished in 1849...
, later "Western"
Additional districts were created from the existing districts as the population grew until 1849, when local government mainly based on counties
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
came into effect. At that time, there were 20 districts; legislation to create a new Kent District never completed. Up until 1841, the district officials were appointed by the lieutenant-governor, although usually with local input. A Court of Quarter Sessions was held four times a year in each district to oversee the administration of the district and deal with legal cases.
War of 1812 (1812–1815)
During the War of 1812War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
with the United States, Upper Canada was the chief target of the Americans, since it was weakly defended and populated largely by American immigrants. However, division in the United States over the war, a lacklustre American militia, the incompetence of American military commanders, and swift and decisive action by the British commander, Sir Isaac Brock, kept Upper Canada part of British North America.
Detroit was captured by the British on August 6, 1812. The Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
The Territory of Michigan was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from June 30, 1805, until January 26, 1837, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Michigan...
was held under British control until it was abandoned in 1813. The Americans won the decisive Battle of Lake Erie
Battle of Lake Erie
The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
(Sept. 10, 1813) and forced the British to retreat from the western areas. On the retreat they were intercepted at the Battle of the Thames
Battle of the Thames
The Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
(October 5, 1813) and destroyed in a major American victory that killed Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
, broke the power of Britain's Indian allies, and gave the Americans control.
Major battles fought on territory in Upper Canada included;
- Battle of Queenston HeightsBattle of Queenston HeightsThe Battle of Queenston Heights was the first major battle in the War of 1812 and resulted in a British victory. It took place on 13 October 1812, near Queenston, in the present-day province of Ontario...
, October 13, 1812 - Burning and Battle of YorkBattle of YorkThe Battle of York was a battle of the War of 1812 fought on 27 April 1813, at York, Upper Canada . An American force supported by a naval flotilla landed on the lake shore to the west, defeated the defending British force and captured the town and dockyard...
, April 27, 1813 - Battle of Fort GeorgeBattle of Fort GeorgeThe Battle of Fort George was a battle fought during the War of 1812, in which the Americans defeated a British force and captured the Fort George in Upper Canada...
, May 27, 1813 - Battle of Stoney CreekBattle of Stoney CreekThe Battle of Stoney Creek was fought on 6 June 1813 during the War of 1812 near present day Stoney Creek, Ontario. British units made a night attack on an American encampment...
, June 5, 1813 - Battle of Beaver DamsBattle of Beaver DamsThe Battle of Beaver Dams took place on 24 June 1813, during the War of 1812. An American column marched from Fort George and attempted to surprise a British outpost at Beaver Dams, billeting themselves overnight in the village of Queenston, Ontario...
, 1813 - Battle of Lake ErieBattle of Lake ErieThe Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, in Lake Erie off the coast of Ohio during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of Great Britain's Royal Navy...
, September 10, 1813 - Battle of the ThamesBattle of the ThamesThe Battle of the Thames, also known as the Battle of Moraviantown, was a decisive American victory in the War of 1812. It took place on October 5, 1813, near present-day Chatham, Ontario in Upper Canada...
, October 5, 1813 - Battle of Crysler's FarmBattle of Crysler's FarmThe Battle of Crysler's Farm, also known as the Battle of Crysler's Field, was fought on 11 November 1813, during the Anglo-American War of 1812. A British and Canadian force won a victory over an American force which greatly outnumbered them...
, November 11, 1813 - Burning of NewarkNiagara-on-the-Lake, OntarioNiagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
, December 10, 1813 - Battle of Chippewa, July 5, 1814
- Battle of Lundy's LaneBattle of Lundy's LaneThe Battle of Lundy's Lane was a battle of the Anglo-American War of 1812, which took place on 25 July 1814, in present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario...
, July 25, 1814
Many other battles were fought in American territory bordering Upper Canada, including the Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
The Territory Northwest of the River Ohio, more commonly known as the Northwest Territory, was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 13, 1787, until March 1, 1803, when the southeastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Ohio...
(most in modern day Michigan), upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
and naval battles in the Great Lakes.
The Treaty of Ghent
Treaty of Ghent
The Treaty of Ghent , signed on 24 December 1814, in Ghent , was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...
(ratified in 1815) ended the war and restored the status quo ante bellum
Status quo ante bellum
The term status quo ante bellum is Latin, meaning literally "the state in which things were before the war".The term was originally used in treaties to refer to the withdrawal of enemy troops and the restoration of prewar leadership. When used as such, it means that no side gains or loses...
between the combatants.
Dissidents and 1837 Rebellion
After 1800 there emerged a dissident faction that questioned the direction and handling of the colony by the Tories, including both colonial and imperial officials. The leaders were Robert ThorpeRobert Thorpe
Robert Thorpe was a judge and political figure in Upper Canada.He was born in Dublin, Ireland around 1764. He graduated with a degree in law from Trinity College, Dublin and was admitted to the bar in 1790....
, Joseph Willcocks
Joseph Willcocks
Joseph Willcocks was a publisher, a political figure and ultimately, a traitor in Upper Canada.He was born in Palmerstown, Ireland in 1773. He came to York at the age of 27, staying initially with his second cousin once removed, William Willcocks...
, Robert Gourlay, and especially, William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie
William Lyon Mackenzie was a Scottish born American and Canadian journalist, politician, and rebellion leader. He served as the first mayor of Toronto, Upper Canada and was an important leader during the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion.-Background and early years in Scotland, 1795–1820:Mackenzie was...
. They challenged the establishment about taxes, land policy, the privileges of the Anglican Church and the Family Compact
Family Compact
Fully developed after the War of 1812, the Compact lasted until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s...
, appropriations, and freedom of the press. They claimed that all citizens and not just the enfranchised were entitled to a voice, but they did not form a political party; there were no parties. In 1831 the Tories expelled Mackenzie from the Assembly, and the conflict escalated. Their brief armed rebellion in 1837 failed. Officials blamed American influence, "In this country unfortunately the settlement of American citizens has been too much permitted and encouraged, and thus in the bosom of this community there exists a treacherous foe... in many parts of the Province the teachers are Americans.... These men are utterly ignorant of everything English and could not if they tried instruct their pupils in any of the duties which the connection of the Province with England casts upon them." [Rea] The oligarchic Family Compact was defended by Tories who explained, "The Radicals, Revolutionists or Destructives was composed of all the American settlers and speculators in land, some of the more simple and ignorant of the older class of farmers, and the rabble of adventurers who poured in every year from the United States or from Britain, to evade the laws of their respective countries." [Rea]
Lord Durham's support for "responsible government" undercut the Tories and gradually led the public to reject what it viewed as poor administration, unfair land and education policies, and inadequate attention to urgent transportation needs. Finally there emerged responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
under Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin
Robert Baldwin was born at York . He, along with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, led the first responsible ministry in Canada, regarded by some as the first truly Canadian government....
and Louis LaFontaine by the late 1840s
Land settlement
Land had been settled since the French regime, notably along the Detroit RiverDetroit River
The Detroit River is a strait in the Great Lakes system. The name comes from the French Rivière du Détroit, which translates literally as "River of the Strait". The Detroit River has served an important role in the history of Detroit and is one of the busiest waterways in the world. The river...
and the St. Lawrence River. Land speculators also contributed to this by buying land cheap and selling it for expensive prices. However, impetus to land settlement came with the influx of Loyalist refugees and military personnel in 1784 after the American Revolution. As a result, prior to the creation of Upper Canada in 1791 as a separate colony, much land had been ceded by the First Nations to the Crown in accordance with the Royal Proclamation of 1763
Royal Proclamation of 1763
The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763, by King George III following Great Britain's acquisition of French territory in North America after the end of the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
. This land was surveyed by the government of the Province of Quebec, particularly in eastern Ontario along the St. Lawrence River, as the Western Townships, while the Eastern Townships
Eastern Townships
The Eastern Townships is a tourist region and a former administrative region in south-eastern Quebec, lying between the former seigneuries south of the Saint Lawrence River and the United States border. Its northern boundary roughly followed Logan's Line, the geologic boundary between the flat,...
were in Lower Canada.
Rudimentary municipal administration began with the creation of districts, notably Western (including present day Brantford
Brantford, Ontario
Brantford is a city located on the Grand River in Southern Ontario, Canada. While geographically surrounded by the County of Brant, the city is politically independent...
), Eastern, Gore (including present day Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
) and Home (including present day Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
).
The Act Against Slavery
Act Against Slavery
The Act Against Slavery was an anti-slavery law passed on July 9, 1793, in the first legislative session of Upper Canada, the colonial division of British North America that would eventually become Ontario....
passed in Upper Canada on July 9, 1793.
Organized settlement tracts were laid out with portions set aside for the clergy reserves, one exception was the Talbot Settlement on the north shore of Lake Erie, which was set up in 1804.
These land tracts expanded in reach well beyond the St. Lawrence – Lake Ontario – Lake Erie shores after the War of 1812. In 1828, Britain appointed Upper Canada's first chief agent of emigration, A.C. Buchanan. His title reflected the centrality of Britain's perspective on migration in the colonies at the time, especially since most new arrivals in Upper Canada were from the United Kingdom.
British regiment soldiers who were veterans of the war were offered free land, and some remained despite the harsh winters. Unlike the period prior to the war, immigration was now directed at Europe and more specifically to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, not from the United States, which was the largest source of immigration before the war. Very cheap or even free land was offered with advertisements to entice immigrants to settle there, even those in financially meagre circumstances. Passage could be obtained across the Atlantic on returning empty lumber ships for little fare. During the early 1830s, the population increased more than 10% of its total each year. In the 1820s many German-speaking Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
immigrants came to the Grand River region of Upper Canada from Pennsylvania, they were joined as well by many German speaking Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
immigrants. This region was sometimes called "Little Pennsylvania", however this term is no longer used today. Many of their descendants continue to speak a form of German called Pennsylvania German
Pennsylvania German language
The Pennsylvania German language is a variety of West Central German possibly spoken by more than 250,000 people in North America...
.
It is estimated that thousands of escaped slaves entered Upper Canada from the United States, using the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
Upper Canada ceased to be a political entity with the Act of Union (1840), when, by an act of the British Parliament, it was merged with Lower Canada to form the united Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
. This was principally in response to the Upper and Lower Canada rebellions of 1837 and 1837–38, respectively. At Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867, the Province of Canada was re-divided along the former boundary as the provinces of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
The name 'Upper Canada' lives on in a few historical forms, most notably the Law Society of Upper Canada
Law Society of Upper Canada
The Law Society of Upper Canada is responsible for the self-regulation of lawyers and paralegals in the Canadian province of Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1797, it is known in French as "Le Barreau du Haut-Canada"...
, Upper Canada Lumber, Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College
Upper Canada College , located in midtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is an independent elementary and secondary school for boys between Senior Kindergarten and Grade Twelve, operating under the International Baccalaureate program. The secondary school segment is divided into ten houses; eight are...
, Upper Canada Mall
Upper Canada Mall
Upper Canada Mall, or simply Upper Canada, is a shopping mall located in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, on the northwest corner of the Davis Drive West and Yonge Street intersection. The mall is owned and operated by Oxford Properties, one of the largest shopping centre development companies in Canada...
(in Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket, Ontario
Newmarket is a town in Southern Ontario located approximately 50 km north of downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area and is connected to Toronto by freeway, and is served by three interchanges along Highway 404. It is also connected to Highway 400 via Highway 9...
), and the Upper Canada Brewing Company
Upper Canada Brewing Company
Upper Canada Brewing Company is a brewery that is currently located in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. Founded by Frank Heaps in Toronto, they started brewing beer in 1984 and grew became one of the largest independent breweries in Canada....
.
When the capital was first moved to Toronto from Newark (present-day Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA...
) in 1796, the Parliament Buildings of Upper Canada were located at the corner of Parliament and Front Streets, in buildings that were burned by U.S. forces in the War of 1812, rebuilt, then burned again by accident. The site was eventually abandoned for another, to the west.
Population
| Year | Census estimate | Year | Census estimate | Year | Census estimate | Year | Census estimate | Year | Census estimate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1806 | 70,718 | 1825 | 157,923 | 1829 | 197,815 | 1833 | 295,863 | 1837 | 397,489 |
| 1811 | 76,000 | 1826 | 166,379 | 1830 | 213,156 | 1834 | 321,145 | 1838 | 399,422 |
| 1814 | 95,000 | 1827 | 177,174 | 1831 | 236,702 | 1835 | 347,359 | 1839 | 409,048 |
| 1824 | 150,066 | 1828 | 186,488 | 1832 | 263,554 | 1836 | 374,099 | 1840 | 432,159 |
(see United Province of Canada for population after 1840)
Source: Statistics Canada website Censuses of Canada 1665 to 1871.
Canada West
Canada West was the western portion of the United Province of Canada from February 10, 1841, to July 1, 1867. Its boundaries were identical to those of the former Province of Upper Canada. Lower Canada would also become Canada EastThe area of Canada West covered all of modern-day Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
and all those areas of Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
in the pays d'en haut which had formed part of New France
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
, essentially the watersheds of the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
, Lake Huron
Lake Huron
Lake Huron is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the larger portion of Lake Michigan-Huron. It is bounded on the east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States...
, and Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
.
Canada West was a political entity and a geographic way of referring to the western and more English speaking part of the former Province of Upper Canada, following its merger into the United Province of Canada
Province of Canada
The Province of Canada, United Province of Canada, or the United Canadas was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham in the Report on the Affairs of British North America following the Rebellions of...
. Canada West was given 42 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Canada, exactly the same number as Canada East
Canada East
Canada East was the eastern portion of the United Province of Canada. It consisted of the southern portion of the modern-day Canadian Province of Quebec, and was primarily a French-speaking region....
.
The area was named the Province of Ontario under the British North America Act of 1867
Constitution Act, 1867
The Constitution Act, 1867 , is a major part of Canada's Constitution. The Act created a federal dominion and defines much of the operation of the Government of Canada, including its federal structure, the House of Commons, the Senate, the justice system, and the taxation system...
.
The population of Canada West grew substantially during the period it existed, mostly due to unprecedented immigration and a high birth rate. In 1841 it was 455,000 but grew to approximately 1,500,000 people at the time of Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867.
Censuses were conducted in 1851 and 1861 and the population in those years was 952,004 and 1,396,091 respectively.
See also
- List of cities and towns of Upper Canada
- The CanadasThe CanadasThe Canadas is the collective name for Upper Canada and Lower Canada, two British colonies in Canada. They were both created by the Constitutional Act of 1791 and abolished in 1841 with the union of Upper and Lower Canada....
- Upper Canada RebellionUpper Canada RebellionThe Upper Canada Rebellion was, along with the Lower Canada Rebellion in Lower Canada, a rebellion against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. Collectively they are also known as the Rebellions of 1837.-Issues:...
- Former colonies and territories in CanadaFormer colonies and territories in CanadaFormer colonies, territories, boundaries, and claims in Canada prior to the current classification of provinces and territories. In North America, ethnographers commonly classify Aboriginals into ten geographical regions with shared cultural traits and by related linguistic dialects...
- Timeline of Ontario historyTimeline of Ontario historyOntario came into being as a province of Canada in 1867 but histoarians use the term to cover its entire history. This article also covers the history of the territory Ontario now occupies....
- Lumber industry on the Ottawa River