Historical Sources & The Durham Report
A diary entry written by a soldier during the War of 1812 or an original photograph from 1867 is an example of this type of source.
What is a primary source? (First-hand evidence created during the time period under study).
Formerly known as Upper Canada, this predominantly English-speaking, Protestant colony saw rapid population growth in the mid-19th century.
What is Canada West?
Signed in 1854, this free trade agreement allowed raw materials to flow duty-free between British North American colonies and the USA until the Americans canceled it in 1866.
What is the Reciprocity Treaty?
The political union of British North American colonies into a federal nation (the Dominion of Canada)?
What is Confederation?
Leader of the Conservatives in Canada West, he was a key architect of the British North America Act and became Canada's first Prime Minister.
Who is Sir John A. Macdonald?
A history textbook published in 2024 analyzing 19th-century North American politics is an example of this type of source.
What is a secondary source? (A second-hand account created later by analyzing primary evidence)
Formerly known as Lower Canada, this colony was largely French-speaking and Catholic, with deep concerns about preserving its language, civil law, and culture.
What is Canada East?
This 19th-century American political belief held that the United States was divinely ordained to expand across the entire North American continent.
What is Manifest Destiny?
Confederation officially took effect on this exact calendar date.
What is July 1, 1867?
Publisher of The Globe newspaper and leader of the Clear Grits in Canada West, he set aside personal rivalry to join the Great Coalition to achieve "Rep by Pop."
Who is George Brown?
Lord Durham was dispatched to British North America by the British Crown following these violent anti-government uprisings that happened in both Canada East and Canada West 1837–1838.
What were the Rebellions of 1837–1838 (Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions)?
Politicians in Canada West championed this political demand because their population had grown larger than Canada East’s, demanding more seats in parliament.
What is Representation by Population ("Rep by Pop")?
These armed Irish-American veterans launched cross-border armed raids into British North America (1866–1871) to pressure Britain to liberate Ireland, pushing the colonies to unite for defense.
Who are the Fenians (or Fenian Raids)?
These four original provinces officially joined Confederation on July 1, 1867.
What are Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick?
Leader of the Parti Bleu in Canada East, he worked closely with Macdonald to ensure Confederation protected French-Canadian civil law, culture, and Catholic schools.
Who is Sir George-Étienne Cartier?
This fancy word means "being absorbed into a larger whole". Lord Durham believed that uniting Upper and Lower Canada into a single province would force this cultural change upon French Canadians.
What is assimilation?
Because Canada East and Canada West had an equal number of seats in the Legislative Assembly, votes frequently tied, resulting in this state where no legislation could be passed.
What is Political Deadlock?
Promised to the Maritime colonies to secure their agreement to Confederation, this transport line was needed for trade and year-round military movement to ice-free ports like Halifax.
What is the Intercolonial Railway?
During Confederation negotiations, the Province of Canada was split back into two separate provinces, which were renamed as these modern provinces
What are Ontario (formerly Canada West) and Quebec (formerly Canada East)?
Leader of the Parti Rouge in Canada East, he strongly opposed Confederation, arguing it would give English Protestants control over French Canadians.
Who is Antoine-Aimé Dorion?
These were the three main recommendations outlined in Lord Durham’s 1839 report.
What are:
Unite Upper Canada and Lower Canada into one colony (the Province of Canada).
Assimilate the French-Canadian population into English language and culture.
Grant Responsible Government (making the executive council accountable to the elected assembly).
Because politicians in Canada East and Canada West could never agree on a permanent government location, this British Monarch was asked in 1857 to pick a safe, neutral capital city to end the constant arguing. She controversially picked "By-Town" now known as "Ottawa" to be the Capital of Canada.
Who is Queen Victoria?
These two major defense-related events increased colonial fears of American invasion or annexation following the US Civil War.
What are Manifest Destiny / US Civil War border tensions and the Fenian Raids?
Beyond political deadlock and defense, these were two primary economic factors that drove the colonies toward Confederation.
The cancellation of the Reciprocity Treaty by the US (forcing colonies to trade with each other).
The high financial cost of building the Intercolonial Railway.
Changing British attitudes, as Britain wanted its colonies to become financially self-sufficient.
This Father of Confederation (from Irish decent) was assassinated 1868.
His funeral was one of the largest state funerals in Canadian History drawing upon tens of thousands of mourners.
Who is Thomas D'Arcy Mcgee?