Canada 1763-1913
The peace terms of 1763 effectively gave Canada over to British rule .In 1791 , The British
constitutional Act split Canada into British And French-Speaking territories .
Opposition to British rule in Canada grew during the 1830s. Rebellions broke out in both Upper
and Lower Canada in 1837, led by William Lyon Mackenzie and Louis Parizeau respectively.
The rebels wanted self-government and although they had some support, the more influential
people in the colonies did not agree with them. The rebels were soon defeated by British troops.
The British government sent Lord Durham to Canada to investigate the causes of the rebellions.
His report said that Upper and Lower Canada should be united and should have control over their
own affairs The 1840 Act of Union united the two colonies which became known as the
Province of Canada. However, many Canadians still felt that these reforms did not go far
enough. This was partly because the Canadians were concerned that the United States might
invade if Canada looked weak. In 1867, the British North America Act was passed and Canada
became self-governing. The Act united four Canadian provinces in a dominion. The French
Canadians of Quebec were promised equality and French and English both became official
languages.
Western Territories
The vast lands to the west, which belonged to the Hudson Bay Company, later became part of
Canada as well. The north-west territories joined the dominion in 1870, followed by Yukon
Territory in 1898. The Yukon had been the location of the famous gold rush in 1896, which led
to tens of thousands of prospectors making their way over the Rocky Mountains to the gold
fields and they hoped, their great wealth. Completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885,
united the country. Unlike the American railways, it formed one continuous system from the St.
Lawrence River to the Pacific Ocean.