Rebellion of High-Canada

The Rébellion of High-Canada was, with the Rébellion of the Patriots to the Low-Canada, a rebellion of the colonists Scot known as Patriots against the British colonial government in 1837 and 1838. They are collectively called the Rébellions of 1837.

Origin of the problem

With the High-Canada, one of the questions most discussed at the beginning of the 19th century was the allowance of the grounds. Many grounds had been put on side like " reserves of Couronne". These reserves of not worked ground lowered the value of the firm neighbors because the isolated farms were less effective than gathered farms. The system of ground allowance of the British government was regarded by several as being excessively bureaucratic in comparison with the American system .

After the War of 1812, the government of High-Canada was directed by the rich person owners of most of these grounds of reserve, called the Family Compact. Grounds had been put also on side for the " clergy protestant" , but Family Compact interpreted this like meaning only the clergy Anglican, excluding the other Protestant or catholic groups.

Another controversy in High-Canada was the push of the American Républicanisme. The British had founded the colonial government in the hope to convince the old American colonies to give up their system of democratic government ; instead of that, the American democracy extended in Canada with the arrival from important groups from American immigrants, called the Loyalistes, which carried out the claims for the reform. William Lyon Mackenzie was one of the most radical reformists in High-Canada; the majority of the reformists, however, such Robert Baldwin, did not support the call of Mackenzie for a republican government.

Rise of the tension

Mackenzie, a Scottish immigrant, had founded a newspaper reformist called The Colonial Advocate in 1824 in the capital of High-Canada, the town of York (today Toronto). It became active in policy, gaining a seat with the legislative Parliament of High-Canada and becoming possibly the first mayor of the lately re-elected city of Toronto in 1834. Neither its radical movement of reform, nor that more moderated of Baldwin were great success, and Baldwin was returned government by the Lieutenant-governor, to sir Francis Bond Head. The conservative opposition of Mackenzie also organized attacks against the presses of its newspaper.

In 1836 and 1837, Mackenzie attracts itself supports among the farmers around Toronto, who were sympathetic nerves with his cause after a particularly bad harvest in 1835. This had led to a recession, and in the following years, the banks had started to tighten the credit and to point out the loans.

Events

When the Rebellion of Low-Canada bursts with the autumn 1837, Bond Head sends the British troops established to Toronto to help to repress it. With the regular troops absent, Mackenzie and its partisans seize the Armurerie of Toronto and organize a walk armed on Yonge Street, on the basis of the Montgomery tavern the December 4th 1837.

When the revolt began, Mackenzie hesitated to attack the city. The December 7th, the military chief of Mackenzie, Anthony van Egmond, arrived. Egmond, a veteran of the napoleonic wars, advised an immediate retirement, but Mackenzie always hesitated. The same day, colonel Moodie tried to force a road block to inform Bond Head, but the rebels panicked and killed it. Mackenzie awaited the force of about 1000 men of Head Jump, carried out by colonel James Fitzgibbon, who was in greater number than the 400 rebels of Mackenzie and made them undergo heavy losses. In less than one half an hour, confrontation was finished.

During this time, a group of rebels of London, carried out by Charles Duncombe, walk towards Toronto to support Mackenzie. Colonel Allan MacNab comes to their meeting close to Hamilton (Ontario) the December 13rd, and the rebels flee.

Mackenzie, Duncombe, John Rolph and 200 rebels flee towards Navy Island on the Rivière the Niagara, where they declare the République of Canada the December 13rd. They obtain material of their partisans in the United States, causing British reprisals. The January 13rd 1838, under attack by the British armaments, the rebels flee. Mackenzie goes to the United States where it is stopped. Other important leaders, van Egmond, Samuel Lount, and Peter Matthews are stopped by the British; van Egmond dies in prison, and Lount and Matthews are carried out in 1838.

Epilog

In comparison with the Rebellion of Low-Canada, that of High-Canada short, was disorganized and almost inconsistent. However, Great Britain could not be unaware of the rebellion in the light of the more serious crisis in Low-Canada. Bond Head was recalled and replaced by Lord Durham, which had the role of submitting a report/ratio on dissatisfactions with the colonists and of finding a way of the appaiser. His report/ratio led to a greater autonomy of the colonies, and the union Top and Low-Canada in the only colony of the Province of Canada in 1840.

See too

Rebellions of 1837
Rebellion of the Patriots
Rebellions of 1837-38 and Amerindians of Low-Canada