7 - Transatlantic Communities, 1815–1849

Summary

This chapter describes the Anglicization of British North America in colonies that stretched from Newfoundland to Vancouver Island. In addition to exploring the range of colonial experiences relating to British immigration and its impact on Indigenous peoples, this chapter examines political developments that led to movements for liberal reforms, including granting more power to elected colonial assemblies. Upper and Lower Canada spawned rebellions led by William Lyon Mackenzie and Louis-Joseph Papineau against authoritarian colonial regimes in 1837-38, prompting a report by Lord Durham in 1839 that recommended union of the two Canadas and granting a limited form of colonial autonomy known as “responsible government.” Great Britain legislated the union of the Canadas in 1840 and, after shabby political manoeuvring everywhere, conceded responsible government to Nova Scotia and the Province of Canada in 1848. In an era of free trade and the Chartist movement, this was an easy solution to political unrest in white settler societies. In response, Conservatives in Montreal burned down the legislative buildings and a few merchants signed a manifesto advocating annexation to the United States, but, overall, Canada’s revolutionary age was a mild affair compared to developments in Europe in 1848-9.