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John the emingrated
John and his family emigrated to Canada from Scotland. -
The amalgamation
In 1821 the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company joined to form an even larger company. This resulted in the vast majority of Metis workforce becoming unemployed, this may have been a factor in the Red River Rebellion. -
Louis-Joseph Papineau
Louis-Joseph Papineau is a member of Quebec legislation since 1814 who travelled from Montreal (Canada), to England. He did this to oppose an Act of Union, an act designating the French-Canadians as a minority and effectively stripping them of their language rights, -
John: A Lawyer
John grew up under financial difficulties, resulting in him already working at the age of 15, he articled at a law firm. -
The Sudden Rebellions
Violent rebellions suddenly occurred in Upper and Lower Canada. The government had a feeling that they were not democratic and the executive commitee could not sustain the confidence they had for the elected officials. The rebellions were promptly set aside and the leaders, William Lyon Mackenzie (a Reformer) and Louis-Joseph Papineau (a Patriot) both fled to the U.S. -
Investigation
Lord Durham, governer-general and high commissioner of British North America, had investigated the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada. He then recommended that responsible government be established and that Upper and Lower Canada be united in order to make the process of bringing French-speaking Canadians into Canada a little easier. -
Upper and Lower Canada set up Joint Assembly
The English government introduces the Act of Union, its purpose to reunite the two Canadas (upper and lower), under a single parliament and make English the only official language. According to the English government, one was to speak only of United Canada. The English government felt that a colonial assembly dominated by British aspects will guarantee imperialism/loyalty to the English Empire strengthened and that British investors would be reassured. -
Act of Union, Passed
The British Parliament (united Upper and Lower Canada) passed the Act of Union resulting in the Province of Canada. -
John Joins Assembly
John joins the joint Canadian Parliament and supports the conservatives. -
Responsible Government
The principles of responsible government had been outlined by Robert Baldwin and Louis-H. Lafontaine in Canada. Joseph Howe, who was now a member of the House of Assembly, brought the maritimes into the plan. -
The Reciprocity Treaty
Canada and the U.S. had signed the Reciprocity Treaty, resulting in the custom duties being reduced and balanced between the two. -
John's Defeated
John's (conservative) government is defeated in the house, with the Governer (Lord Monck), ready to dissolve the assembly. George Brown however offered John the oppertunity to form a coalition gvernment. An oppertunity which, was then accepted under the leadership of Sir Etienne Tache. The movement towards confederation had begun. -
Prince Edward Island
Leaders of the movement to confederation (including John), sailed to Prince Edward Island and met with the maritime leaders, they to are looking to form a union. John and company manage to convince the majority of them that a grander union will be the answer. -
The Raid
The Fenians, a group of Irish- Americans who hated having Britains in Ireland, had a goal of drawing the British troops out of England and Ireland so they could give an opportunity to gain an edge over the British for their people back in Ireland. For this to happen, they decided to start raiding on Canadian territory. The raid that has made the most damage was the Battle of Ridgeway which gave a special sense of urgency to the Confederation movement. -
The BNA Act
Because of what happened with the Battle of Ridgeway, this resulted in the London Conference passing the resolutions which was later made into the British North American Act (the gateway to Canadian Confederation).
