Britain Takes Over!
(The Royal Proclamation and the Quebec Act)
Timeline of Events
- 1763 Britain tried to establish lasting peace in N.America through a Royal Proclamation (a statement of law and policy).
- The proclamation was issued just a few months after Pontiac began to organize First Nations’ resistance to British rule.
The Royal Proclamation 1763The Royal Proclamation goals:
To assimilate the Canadiens by: - establishing the Province of Quebec with British-style government similar to the one of the Thirteen colonies, and promised an elected assembly. Britain did not follow up on this for over thirty years. - not allowing Catholics to hold government positions. - getting rid of French law and social structure. e - encouraged settlers of the Thirteen colonies to move to Quebec by stating that settlers could no longer freely move west To make peace with First Nations by: - establishing a line separating the Thirteen colonies from “Indian Territory”, where no settlement could take place unless First Nations had agreed about these lands with Britain. |
Isn’t this similar to what the Acadians went through? By establishing British laws in Quebec, they hoped it would attract other British settlers to move there - but not a popular destination. The Canadiens also did NOT give up their language, religion, or customs.
What would happen if the Thirteen colonies rebelled? Would Quebec rebel too? By 1774 the Canadien population was greater than the British settlers. |
The Quebec Act 1774
Because of the many uncertainties with rule following the Royal Proclamation, Britain decided to return some rights that the proclamation had taken away. They did this by passing the Quebec Act.
The act: - allowed Catholic people to practice their religion and the Catholic Church and clergy still playing a vital role in politics of the colony. - allowed Canadiens to hold gov’t positions following an oath of loyalty to Britain. - brought back French civil law (which is still used today) - extended the boundaries of Quebec beyond the proclamation line to claim fur trading territory for the colonies economy. Britain did this WITHOUT consulting the First Nations! |
Information shared above is summarized from:
Rees, Anderson Gerrits, Allaire (2006) Our Canada: Origins, Peoples, Perspectives. Thompson, Nelson
Rees, Anderson Gerrits, Allaire (2006) Our Canada: Origins, Peoples, Perspectives. Thompson, Nelson