Canadian identity and culture

In this learning activity, you will be exploring the significant agreements and treaties that established British rule in the colony of Quebec, which eventually led to modern-day Canada.

Consider the following three questions. Using your notebook or a method of your choice, brainstorm your ideas.

• What symbolizes Canadian identity?
• How do people around the world describe Canada?
• What symbolizes your personal identity and culture?

Explore the following images and their descriptions as a starting point for your brainstorming.

Three key documents

After the defeat of the French in the Seven Years War, there were three key documents that outlined how the new British colony of Quebec was to be run in British North America (B.N.A.), now Canada. Throughout this learning activity, it is important to note that Canada was previously referred to as British North America.

Explore the following information about the Treaty of Paris, the Royal Proclamation, and Quebec Act.

Treaty of Paris

Press Assimilate to access its definition.

Assimilate

According to the Treaty of Paris, the British obtained the French possessions of land (Île-Royale, Quebec, Great Lakes Basin, and the east bank of the Mississippi River). The treaty also gave French Canadians 18 months to emigrate if they did not want to live under the new British government. Britain acquired other lands such as Florida from Spain, and they retained fishing rights in Newfoundland and on the Gulf of the St. Lawrence. The British were supposed to also respect previously established trade agreements with Indigenous Peoples.

While this agreement was quite profitable for the British, it was disastrous for Indigenous groups because it became increasingly more difficult for them to protect their land from the British.

Source: Cornelius, Jaenen J. “Treaty of Paris 1783.” Treaty of Paris 1783 | The Canadian Encyclopedia, 7 Feb. 2006, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/treaty-of-paris-1783.

Learn more about the Treaty of Paris and its lasting effects on Indigenous communities.

Royal Proclamation

The Royal Proclamation was issued in October of 1763 by King George III. It officially ended the Seven Years War and established the territories that were given up by the French to the British as a result of the war. The goal of the Royal Proclamation was to establish a government in Canada and draw clear boundaries around the new British province of Quebec, putting a western limit on the Thirteen Colonies. French colonies had to give up their lands to the British, while many First Nations communities, who lived on these lands, had no representation in these discussions.

Many Indigenous communities viewed the British with distrust, as they were seen as being dishonest in the fur trade. When the British government took control of their new lands, they claimed they would treat Indigenous Peoples better.

The Proclamation said that only the British government could make deals for Indigenous land. It also created a large Indigenous reserve west of the Appalachian Mountains. Colonists were not allowed to buy any of the lands that belonged to Indigenous peoples, which upset the Americans because they had planned to expand and take this land. Ultimately, this was a key factor leading to the American Revolution, as settler land claims were now impossible in Quebec.

The Royal Proclamation weakened French power by ensuring that all governors of Quebec would be British, Quebec would follow British laws, and Catholics who wanted to continue to work for the government had to swear loyalty to the Protestant British.

The Royal Proclamation had a significant impact on Canada’s development as it contributed to the outbreak of the American Revolution, prohibited the private sale of Indigenous land, and set rules for future Indigenous treaties. It is still important today and is often considered when there is a dispute about land ownership in Canada.

Source: Hall, Anthony J. “Royal Proclamation of 1763.” Royal Proclamation of 1763 | The Canadian Encyclopedia, 7 Feb. 2006, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/royal-proclamation-of-1763.

Reflect

What key provisions from the Royal Proclamation of 1763 address the issue of title to Indigenous land?

Press Hint to access possible ways to answer this question.

Hint

Let's examine what we've learned about the Royal Proclamation. For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu..

Quebec Act

In June of 1774, the Quebec Act was established. It revoked the Royal Proclamation and aimed to gain the loyalty of the French-speaking majority in Quebec by restoring French property rights. It enlarged boundaries of the provinces to include Ile d’Anticosti and Iles de la Madeleine on the east, and the Indigenous territory south of the Great Lakes. The Quebec Act guaranteed religious freedom for the Roman Catholics and restored French civil law and British criminal law.

The Quebec Act had a large impact on Canada as it attempted to deal with issues that had been created by the Royal Proclamation. It enabled the Quebec economy to rely on fishers and the traditional fur trade again. New colonists were unimpressed with the Quebec Act and the privileges it gave to the French population. Many saw this as a way for the British to develop relationships with the French colonists, in the event they had trouble with American colonies.

The Quebec Act had major implications for Canada. First, it gained the trust of the French people in Canada. Building trust between French-speaking and English-speaking populations was important to prevent rebellions against the British.

The Quebec Act upset Americas because they felt the British were being too lenient to the French and prevented their expansion, eventually leading to the American Revolution. The British were eager to show respect for the strength of First Nations peoples and to prevent any reoccurrence of the bloody wars. Some Indigenous Peoples thought the new border, and the presence of the British military to enforce it, might help them protect themselves against colonists’ encroachments. So, the provisions of the Quebec Act were seen as a minor improvement.

Source: Fred, Glover. “The Quebec Act, 1774 (Plain-Language Summary).” The Canadian Encyclopedia, The Canadian Encyclopedia, 17 Jan. 2020, thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-quebec-act-1774-plain-language-summary.

Let’s recap!

Using the information you've examined about the diverse changes under British rule, place the cards into categories that best match. Use the arrow buttons to navigate between cards.

Impact on Indigenous communities

Consider the Treaty of Paris, the Royal Proclamation and the Quebec Act documents you explored in the previous section. How did these documents impact Indigenous communities in Canada? Specifically, consider how each document influenced the rights of Indigenous Peoples to their own land. Record your ideas using a method of your choice.

Once you have recorded your thoughts, complete the following fill-in-the-blank question. For each sentence, select the missing document from the drop-down menu. Press the Check Answer button to see how you did.

Constitution Act, 1791

With the English population growing, many new colonists were not happy living under French laws of Quebec. They wanted to hold their own lands, have their own privileges, and establish a new colony. To reach a compromise, the British Parliament passed the Constitution Act in 1791 (also known as The Canada Act), which divided the colony of Quebec along the Ottawa River into Upper Canada (Ontario) and Lower Canada (Quebec).

In Upper Canada, colonists were English-speaking and Protestant, and in Lower Canada, colonists were French-speaking and Catholic.

The Canada Act is famous for giving women the right to own land, and because women were not excluded from the act, any woman who owned land also had the right to vote. By granting Upper Canada a constitution and a separate administration, as well as by favouring British settlement there, Britain took the first steps on the path that eventually led to Confederation.

Constitution Act, 1867 and 1982

In 1867, the Constitution Act was revisited and became the foundational document of Confederation when several colonies came together and formed Canada. It outlined the structure of the government in Canada and the distribution of powers between central Parliament and provincial legislatures. In 1982, the Constitution Act was patriated. This means that Canada was no longer under the control of Britain and they were entirely independent. However, not all groups involved agreed to this. The government of Quebec did not approve the Act in 1982, which has been debated ever since.

Investigate the following article to learn a little more about the moment when the Queen signed the Constitution Act of 1982.

The article stated that there was one premier’s signature not on the Constitution. Whose signature was that? Why do you think that is?

The 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada

Another significant piece of legislation that was passed at this time was the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada. Passed on July 9th, 1793, in the Upper Canada Legislature, this act was the first time a government in the British Empire passed a law restricting the practice of enslavement.

At this time in Upper Canada, enslavement was still legal. Enslaved individuals were treated as property and had little to no protection under the law. However, the practice of enslavement was being questioned increasingly on political and moral grounds.

A notable act of resistance was instrumental in inspiring legislation that would alter the course of enslavement in Canada.

Chloe Cooley

In March 1793, Chloe Cooley, a Black woman enslaved in Upper Canada, was violently bound and transported across the Niagara River to the United States, where she was to be sold. Cooley resisted frantically. Witnesses in the area reported the incident, and the event sparked public outrage.

Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe was upset after hearing about this event and wanted to make a law to end enslavement in Upper Canada. However, some members of the government who owned enslaved people disagreed with him, so Simcoe had to compromise.

The new act stipulated the following:

• The import of new enslaved people into Upper Canada was now prohibited.
• Children born to enslaved women after the Act’s passage would be freed at age 25.
• Any children born after that group would be free from birth.
• Enslavers were required to provide shelter and food for the children who were enslaved

It is important to note that the act did not abolish enslavement outright, and existing enslaved individuals remained enslaved for life, unless they were voluntarily freed by their owners. The act also allowed for the continued sale and purchase of enslaved people within the colony and across borders.

Chloe Cooley’s story shows how one person’s courage can help create big changes. When she resisted being taken and sold into slavery, her actions caused public outcry and led to the creation of a new law in Upper Canada called the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada. This law was an important first step toward ending enslavement in Canada. It also helped inspire future laws, like the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which ended the transatlantic slave trade, and the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which officially ended the practice of enslavement in most of the British Empire.

In a method of your choice, answer the following question.

How did Chloe Cooley’s brave resistance shape the experience and rights of Black people and communities at this time? What does her story teach us about how one person’s resistance can create change?

Test your knowledge

In this learning activity, you learned about several key documents that profoundly shaped Canada as we know it today. Solidify your knowledge with the following multiple-choice quiz.

Please select the correct answer.

What do you think?

Reflect on what you’ve learned in this learning activity about the formation of present-day Canada. Respond to the following questions in a method of your choice. Use information from your learning to support your answers.

1. What impact did the Constitution Act have on French and English Canada?
2. What impact have the British and French imperial and colonial conflicts had on Indigenous Peoples and Canada’s identity?
3. In what ways did the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery both challenge and still allow enslavement in Upper Canada? What does this tell us about the political climate of the time?

Reflection

As you read the following descriptions, select the one that best describes your current understanding of the learning in this activity. Press the corresponding button once you have made your choice.

Now, expand on your ideas by recording your thoughts using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

When you review your notes on this learning activity later, reflect on whether you would select a different description based on your further review of the material in this learning activity.

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