jan 16, 1838 - The Durham Report
Description:
John George Lambton, Lord Durham,arrived in
Canada from England in May 1838. He was sent by Queen Victoria and
the British government to find ways to calm the tensions in the Canadian
colony following the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada. The Upper and
Lower Canada rebellions had occurred in 1837, which was also the first year
of Queen Victoria’s reign.Upon his arrival to Canada, Durham learned about the main political
conflict between the Executive and the Legislative Assembly. This conflict was especially a problem in Lower Canada, where the mainly French- speaking elected Legislative Assembly refused to approve budgets for projects that could boost British business. Durham’s report had three main
recommendations that
focused on political and
cultural changes to Upper
and Lower Canada. He
submitted his report to
Queen Victoria in 1839.
Durham observed that the public opposed the Executive members of
government because they were not elected. Durham recommended in
his report that the Executive and Legislative Councils should no longer
be appointed.Durham spent most of his time in Lower Canada, observing the
relationship between the Canadiens and the British. His next
recommendation was to unite Upper and Lower Canada into one province,
called the United Province of Canada.Durham believed that tensions were caused not only by political conflicts,
but by cultural differences as well. Durham’s third recommendation was
that the Canadiens be assimilated. This meant that the Canadiens would
lose their own culture and adopt British ways.
Added to timeline:
chapters 7/8
Date:
