British Canada, 1760-91: British Control over the St. Lawrence

British Military Rule, 1760-63 Treaty of Paris, 1763 The Quebec Act of 1774 and the American Revolution The American Revolution Selected Bibliography

After the French defeat, the St. Lawrence area was controlled by Britain. Quebec province contained a significant European population, the majority of whom were of French origin. Outside Quebec, the North shore of the St. Lawrence basin was mainly settled by natives, and the South shore by Americans. During this historical period French-English intra-regional conflict began and several events changed the Geography of the St. Lawrence area.

The British military ruled New France from 1760-63.

In 1760, the Seven Years French-English war in the St. Lawrence area ended even though the European war will not end until 1763. The French surrendered Nouvelle France to the British military who controlled the area until 1763. Following the collapse of New France Canadians suffers many hardships, including: disease, food shortages, the destruction of several towns and economic downfall. On the political scene, the French were removed from executive positions and as a consequence, French Quebec started a long era of relative isolationism from the economic and political life of North America that will last until the middle of the twentieth century.

Also in 1760, First Nations resentment towards Europeans for taking their lands intensified in North America. The nations established a Pan-Native Confederacy. The Confederacy attacked many European settlements, but failed to prevail for many reasons, including: intertribal rivalries, the halt of the fur trade and their need to hunt to provide subsistence to their communities. However, scattered Native attacks on Europeans in the St. Lawrence region occurred until about 1813. By then, most tribes had either been pacified or expulsed.

The Royal Proclamation (1763) radically the political geography of the St. Lawrence region.

In 1763, France officially gave Canada to Britain by signing the Treaty of Paris and Britain issued the Royal Proclamation establishing a British civil government in Quebec as well as boundaries for British North America (see map). The treaty created the Province of Quebec, which included a narrow strip along the St. Lawrence River. This was the first Canadian province. The treaty also created reserves for the First Nations and restricted further colonization in Western Canada.

The population of British Quebec was 95% French roman catholic and 5% British (composed mainly of merchants and military personnel). The French were treated as second class citizens by the British minority. For example, British traders and merchants received many business advantages not offered to the French.

The goal of British policy in 1763 Quebec and for many years to follow was to assimilate the French people into British Protestant society. They thought this would help secure the region and generate British loyalty. They attempted to use the catholic church as a means of achieving this goal, and controlling the French public. Their methods failed to make the French any more loyal.

The Quebec Act made four changes in the province.

American troops invaded the St. Lawrence region in 1775.

The Quebec Act was created in 1774 to resolve English-French conflict in the province of Quebec. The act did four things:

• extended the Quebec border to Ohio;
• allowed colonization in Western Canada;
• retained English criminal law, but re-established French civil law in Quebec; and
• created a legislative council to make laws.

This act also had the hidden goal of eventually assimilating the French people by gradually introducing English traditions and laws. Several British subjects took over French seigneuries along the St. Lawrence and the last seigniorial grant was attributed in 1788. Another hidden goal of the Quebec Act was to put a significant amount of land, notably the Great Lakes region (see map) in more secure hands, as American revolutionary forces where being felt (the Boston Tea Party of 1773).

The American Revolution began in the 1775 and ended in 1783 by the Second Treaty of Paris with the British defeated (although the Revolutionary War was mostly won by 1776). The revolution occurred because many colonists were unhappy with British colonial policies (such as duties and taxes) and wanted to create an independent nation. During the revolution there were many wars between British loyalists and Americans. From 1775-76 several battles occurred on the St. Lawrence River as American troop invaded Canada to rally it to the cause of colonial independence from Britain.

The American Revolution had many negative effects on British Quebec, such as economic and agricultural loss during the invasion. Moreover, it changed the geography of Canada. The land South of the Great Lakes / St. Lawrence water basin officially became part of the United States of America. This border would stay for the next 50 years a source of tension between the British colony and the independent United States. Also, the Natives lost the territory they received under the Treaty of Paris.

Another consequence of the American Revolution was for Britain to give more political autonomy for its North American colonies. For the St. Lawrence region, this involved the Canada Act of 1791.

• Francis, D., Jones, R., and Smith, D. B. 1992. Origins: Canadian history to confederation. Toronto: Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada, Limited.
• Bercuson, D. J., Abel, K., Harman Akenson, D., Baskerville, P. A., Bumsted, J. M., Reid, J. G. 1992. Colonies: Canada to 1867. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.

Related Web Sites

The Royal Proclamation of 1763 The Quebec Act of 1774 The American Revolution