Lower Canada

Infobox Former Country
native_name = Bas-Canada
conventional_long_name = Province of Lower Canada
common_name = Lower Canada
ag
continent = North America
region = Central Canada
country = Canada
era = British Era
status = Colony
status_text= British Province
empire = United Kingdom
government_type = Constitutional monarchy|
event_start = Constitutional Act of 1791
year_start = 1791
date_start = December 26
event_end = Act of Union 1840
year_end = 1841
date_end = Feb 10

event1 =
date_event1 =
event2 =
date_event2 =
event3 =
date_event3 = |
p1 = Province of Quebec (1763-1791)
flag_p1 = Union flag 1606 (Kings Colors).svg
s1 = United Province of Canada
flag_s1 = Flag of the United Kingdom.svg|


flag_type =


flag_type =

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symbol =
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image_map_caption = Map of Lower Canada (green)
capital = Quebec
national_motto =
national_anthem =
common_languages = English, French
religion = Protestantism, Roman Catholicism
currency = Canadian pound|

leader1 = George III
year_leader1 = 1791-1820
leader2 = Victoria
year_leader2 = 1837-1841
title_leader = Sovereign
deputy1 = See list of Lieutenant-Governors
year_deputy1 =
title_deputy = Lieutenant-Governor
legislature = Parliament of Lower Canada
house1 = Legislative Council
house2 = Legislative Assembly|

stat_year1 =
stat_area1 =
stat_pop1 =
stat_year2 =
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footnotes =

The Province of Lower Canada (French: "Province du Bas-Canada") was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791-1841). It covered the southern portion of the modern-day Province of Quebec, Canada, and the Labrador region of the modern-day Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

History

The Province of Lower Canada was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791 from the partition of the British colony of the Province of Quebec (1763-1791) into the Province of Lower Canada and the Province of Upper Canada.

Lower Canada consisted of part of former French colony of New France, populated mainly by French Canadians, which was ceded to Great Britain after that empire's victory in the Seven Years' War, also called the French and Indian Wars in the United States. Other parts of New France ceded to Britain became the Colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Rebellion

Like Upper Canada, there was political unrest and a rebellion challenged the British rule of the predominantly French population. After the Patriote Rebellion was crushed by the British army and Loyal volunteers, the 1791 Constitution was suspended on March 27 1838 and a special council was appointed to administer the colony.

The provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada were combined as the United Province of Canada in 1841, when the The Union Act came into force. Their separate legislatures were combined into a single parliament with equal representation for both constituent parts. [cite web |url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0000029 |title=Catholic Encyclopedia: Act of Union]

Constitution

The Province of Lower Canada inherited the mixed set of French and English institutions that existed in the Province of Quebec during the 1763-1791 period and which continued to exist later in Canada-East (1841-1867) and ultimately in the current Province of Quebec (1867-).

Population

ee also

*the Canadas
*Canada East, period after the Act of Union (1840)
*List of Lieutenant Governors of Quebec
*Timeline of Quebec history
*National Patriotes Day

References

Further reading

* Robert Christie. "A History of the Late Province of Lower Canada", Quebec City: T. Cary/R. Montreal: Worthington, 1848-1855 (Internet Archive: [http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Christie%2C%20Robert%22 All 6 volumes] )
* François-Xavier Garneau. "History of Canada : from the time of its discovery till the union year", Montreal : J. Lovell, 1860 (Internet Archive: [http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Garneau%2C%20F.-X%22 All 3 Volumes] )

External links

* [http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0004792 Lower Canada from "The Canadian Encyclopedia"]