Canadian history is not as stable and peaceful as most people assume. A long history of conflict between
English and
French forces has helped to shape our country into what you see today.
A prime example of this conflict was the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion.
A brief historical geography lesson: Canada evolved around the St. Lawrence River, the main oceanic access for sea faring vessels in our part of North America. So, starting at the Atlantic and heading up-river, the populated areas where named Lower Canada (e.g. lower end of the river - present day Quebec) and Upper Canada (present day Ontario and parts of Quebec).
During the 1800's, Canada was not a stable place. Britain and France battled for control of the colony for two main reasons: food and fur. The fur trade was the backbone of the colonies economy. Second to that was the cod fisheries of the east coast and the grain farms of Lower Canada.
Largely under the thumb of the British, French Canadian farmers were hurt badly in the 1835 agriculture crisis, which saw the English market for Canadian grains dry up. Impoverished Lower Canada farmers, a largely french speaking population rose up against the English.
Chronology of events:
1815
June 18, Battle of Waterloo, decisive defeat of Napoleon--Western Europe experiences first extended peace in almost 35 years. Trade between continental Europe and Britain resumes on a large scale. Revised "Corn Laws" are introduced to protect wealthy British landowners growing wheat against cheap grain imports from Europe.
1819
Peterloo
Massacre--a crowd of up to 50,000 people who had gathered to listen to public speeches on democratic reforms to both the political and economic system in
Great Britain is attacked by
government troops.
1830
Revolution of 1830 leads to the establishment of a constitutional
monarchy in
France.
Revolutionary disturbances affect much of
Europe.
Greece and
Belgium declare their independence.
1832
British Reform Act is passed making elections more
democratic, but most poor people are still not allowed to
vote.
Cholera epidemic sweeps through
Canada.
1834
The second
cholera epidemic hits
Canada.
1835-1837
Crisis in agriculture: during the 1820s and early 1830s,
British trade policies protecting
imperial grain growers (the
Corn Laws) tended to favour wheat producers in Upper and
Lower Canada. However, increased domestic production in
Great Britain (especially imports from
Ireland), led to less demand for Canadian
wheat leading to the impoverishment of many small farmers in both Canadian colonies, but especially in
Lower Canada.
1837: the Year of the Rebellions
March 1
The 92 Resolutions, a list of political and economic reforms drawn up by
Papineau and his supporters, called the patriotes, are rejected by the
British government.
March through August
Assemblies held throughout
Québec in protest against the
British decision.
Early September
Race riots in
Niagara. Two
African residents of
Niagara are killed by the police, and 30-40 are jailed.
September 5
500 young patriotes in
Montréal organize a radical political organization called Fils de la Liberté, (
Sons of Liberty). They meet at the Nelson Hotel.
October 4
The Fils de la Liberté publish a
manifesto calling for the election of a
republican government in
Lower Canada.
October 23-24
The
radicals hold the Grande Assemblée des Six-Comtés, a mass meeting of patriotes, at Saint-Charles-sur-le-Richelieu.
November 6
The
Bishop of Montréal speaks against the patriotes.
The patriotes raise a liberty pole carrying the inscription "A Papineau, ses compatriotes reconnaissants, 1837. "
Brawls in
Montréal between the Fils de la Liberté and the anti-patriotes Doric Club occur. The
loyalists ransack the workshops of the English-language patriote
newspaper, The Vindicator, and the house of André Ouimet,
president of the Fils de la Liberté.
November 18
Brown, named
general of the Fils, seizes the manor of Seigneur Debartzch in Saint-Charles and establishes a camp. A detachment of
British troops under the command of Wetherall leaves
Montréal and goes to Chambly.
November 23
Battle of Saint-Denis: The
British commander,
Gore, at the head of six companies of
infantry and a detachment of
artillery attacks the patriotes forces under Wolfred Nelson entrenched at Saint-Denis. After seven hours of fighting, Gore
retreats in defeat, losing six men killed and 11 wounded, a rare defeat of
British regulars. The rebels lost 12 killed and eight wounded.
November 25
Battle of Saint-Charles: Two days later Wetherall's loyalist force attacks the patriote army at Saint-Charles. Barricaded around the manor of Saint-Charles, the rebels are routed after just two hours of fighting, losing 28 killed and more than 30 wounded. The
British lost seven dead and 23 wounded, but the spirit of the patriote forces, elated after the
victory of Saint-Denis, is crushed.
November 30
Wetherall and his troops make a triumphal return to
Montréal with 30 prisoners and the Liberty Pole that had been erected at Saint-Charles. The patriote leaders, Girod and Chénier, with 200 men seek to secure weapons at
Oka.
Papineau leaves the colony.
December 2
Gore torches Saint-Denis.
December 5
Martial law is declared in
Montréal.
December 6
A group of 80 patriotes attempting to reach the
United States are intercepted and scattered at Moore's Corner (Philipsburgh) by 300 militia.
In
Upper Canada, Dr. Duncombe with a rousing speech launched open rebellion in the western half of the colony. Hearing news of the beginning of the
Mackenzie Rebellion at
Toronto, he began to assemble a force of Rebels which reached 500 to 600 in number by December 13. Duncombe's men were gathering in
Scotland Township and
Oakland (Malcolm's Mills) on the road to Dundas (
Hamilton).
December 7
The skirmish at Montgomery's Tavern. The main rebel forces under Mackenzie and Van Egmond gathered north of
Toronto are dispersed by the local militia.
Colonel Allan Napier MacNab is ordered to exit
Toronto, assemble a force and confront the Duncombe rebels.
December 10
British troops threaten Saint-Eustache and Saint-Benoît in
Lower Canada.
December 12
Colonel MacNab approaches Duncombe's rebel force at the village of
Sodom. That and the news of Mackenzie's defeat results in the break up of rebel force.
December 13
Governor Colborne leaves
Montréal with his main army of 1300 men for Saint-Eustache.
December 14
Battle of Saint-Eustache: the last main rebel army is easily scattered by Colborne's regulars.
MacNab makes a surprise attack on Duncombe's camp, but most of the rebels have already fled. He takes 500 prisoners from the surrounding area over the next few days. MacNab freed the prisoners pending the approval of the lieutenant-governor. Only the most active rebels were later again arrested and tried.
December 15
Last patriote resistance is crushed at Saint-Benoît.
December 29
In
Upper Canada, at Navy Island, east of present day
Niagara Falls,
Ontario, Mackenzie's ship Caroline was burned while moored at Fort Schlosser,
New York.
1838: a Second year of Troubles
January / February
Around Amherstburg,
Upper Canada, sporadic fighting on the
Detroit River frontier between
British regulars and
Canadian militia on the one hand and rebels and
American sympathizers on the other.
January 5
The
United States government affirms its
neutrality, although no real measures are taken to stop rebels based in the
United States from raiding
Canada. In
Lower Canada the exiled rebels and their
American supporters called themselves the Frères Chasseurs, and in
Upper Canada they were called the
Hunters' Lodges.
The 60-year-old AnthonyVan Egmond dies as a result of disease, likely
pneumonia, contracted in unsanitary jail conditions while held in
Toronto awaiting trial.
February 26-27
Patriotes raid Potton in the Eastern Townships. 600 patriotes assemble at
Plattsburg in the
United States and cross
Lake Champlain to Alburg,
Vermont.
February 28
Robert Nelson and Dr.Côté, commanding the patriote army, invade
Lower Canada at Week's House and declare the
independence of the colony.
March 1
Nelson and the patriotes are forced to retreat back into the
United States in the face of loyalist opposition. The
American authorities this time arrest Nelson and Côté.
March 3, 1838
At
Pelee Island,
Upper Canada, a sharp struggle occurred as
British regulars accompanied by
cavalry (including the St. Thomas troops under Captain James Ermatinger) repelled a rebel raid.
April 12
Rebel leaders Samuel Lount and Peter Matthews, captured after Montgomery's Tavern, are
hanged for treason in
Toronto.
April 27
Martial law is repealed in
Montréal. 501 people in the city are jailed for "treasonous" activities.
May 27
Lord Durham arrives in
Québec as the new
governor.
June 11
In
Upper Canada, 26 rebels under James Morrow invade the
Niagara Peninsula from their base on Grand Island, joining up with 22 supporters at Short Hills (now the town of Fonthill). After defeating a group of 13
British soldiers, the raiders were defeated by a second force of loyalist troops. Morrow was hanged while other rebels were sent to the
penal colony on
Tasmania.
June 28
Lower Canada proclaims a partial
amnesty for those involved in the rebellion.
November 3
The Frères Chasseurs reassemble at various points outside of
Montréal marking the start of the second rebellion in Lower Canada.
November 4
At Napierville, Robert Nelson for a second time proclaims the
independence of Lower Canada. 700 patriotes gather.
November 5
A patriote army of 300 is defeated after 30 minutes of fighting by
British regulars under Colborne at Lacolle. Eight rebels are killed.
November 9
Main patriote army of 600 men is defeated at Odelltown. Attempt to capture Robert Nelson fails.
November 10
Colborne arrives at Napierville at the head of 8000 soldiers.
November 11-16
Battle of the Windmill: in
Upper Canada, a serious invasion by the
New York Hunters' Lodge is made at Prescott near
Kingston. About 200 men, most of them
Americans, under the
Swedish soldier of fortune, Nils von Schoultz attack Fort
Wellington. On November 11, the rebels, carried across the river in two
schooners and
steamer, land and unopposed capture the
windmill here (the main structure of the mill still exists, later rebuilt into a light house). The Hunters are counter-attacked the next day by 470
loyalists but beat off the assault leading to a four day
siege. On the 16th, a new attack is made with reinforcements from two regulars regiments, the 83rd and 93rd and 300 more loyalist militia. Von Schoultz finally surrenders and 159 prisoners are taken.
November 13
Patriotes at Boucherville disperse without a fight, marking the definitive end of the second rebellion in
Lower Canada.
November 27
In
Lower Canada 855 people are arrested under a new martial law (that would be the equivalent of 10,000 people in 1970)
December 4
The Battle of
Windsor results when a force of rebels and
Americans crossed the
Detroit River, attacking Windsor, killing four militiamen and burning the steamer
Thames, before retreating. The Loyalist defenders numbered about 300 men. Reports of the number of rebels and
Americans vary wildly from 100 to 400 men. Twenty Five rebels are killed in the fight and many prisoners are captured including Joshua Doan of Sparta (a village near London), who was later
hanged for treason. Colonel John Prince ordered that four rebel prisoners be shot.
December 8
Nils von Schoultz and 11 other rebels captured at the battle of Windmill are executed.
December 12
12 rebels in Lower Canada are executed. 58 are deported to penal colonies in Australia.
December 21
Two more rebel leaders, Joseph Cardinal and Joseph Duquet, are executed.