Life in Lower Canada

The chateau clique was a small group of “privileged Upper Class” members that invested in ships and canals. These snobbish people got the government to stop working on the things they were working on, so they could benefit from all its success. The Parti Patriots were the reformers of Lower Canada. These people were usually those from the Lower Class but there were many leaders that were in the Upper Class and the seigniorial system. They wanted the government to change the way they ran things and they wanted more power and say; as the people of Lower Canada. The French-Canadians wanted everybody (the English to stop forcing them to change their language and culture for some foreign culture. They didn’t think it was right to make them change their beliefs, just because they were in an English country. The chateau clique didn’t want this; they liked everything how it already was and didn’t want this; they liked how everything already was and didn’t want to change anything. The people of Lower Canada were very upset of and because of the government.

First of all, the immigrants were tricked and cheated right off the bat by them; they were told that they would get inexpensive land that was easy to access to the villages, roads and markets. What they didn’t expect was to be placed in expensive land that didn’t pass their expectations. The land they wanted was for the Clergy and Crown reserves (which they wouldn’t use for a long time) if they even wanted to complain to the government about it, they wouldn’t be able to because they didn’t have a say in the British government. They weren’t being represented properly, and weren’t treated properly. These were some of many problems that caused the armed rebellion. Another cause was that the land speculators taxed the people too much money. Also the Anglican Church was getting better treatment then the protestant Church. Another main cause would be that when Papineau and many other reformers gave the governor their “Ninety-two-Resolutions” (demanded a total change in the way the colony was being ruled), Lord John Russell returned to them The Ten Resolutions, denying them every fair right of the assembly.

Discrimination against the French, unequal taxation, and lack of power in the government became the three main causes of Lower Canada’s rebellions. Mackenzie who was one of the main reform leaders in Lower Canada, remained in contact with Upper Canada’s reform leaders; so they could help each other out. The first rebellion was in Lower Canada, led by the rebellions weren’t very well-coordinated. If the Catholic Church had supported the rebellion, the Patriots might have been more successful. The church was loyal to Britain and wanted others to do the same. After many small battles at St. Denis, St. Charles and St. Eustache, the British troops defeated the Patriot forces, ending the Rebellions in Lower Canada. The rebellions caused “resentment” to the British, from the French. The major leaders of the revolts were either hanged in front of everyone or were sent to Bermuda for seven years, to do Britain’s slave labour. The judges hoped that by making the punishment severe, many people would stop committing mistakes because they would have to undergo the same thing, if they did it too.