The Family Compact was the informal name for the wealthy, conservative elite of Upper Canada in the early 19th century. It was one of a number of Tory-dominated Compact governments that ruled the colonies of British North America. Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Church of England Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council  - Lower house Legislative... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The term Tory (from Irish Gaelic tóraighe, an outlaw or guerrilla fighter, during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms — literally meaning pursued man) applied to the Tory Party, the ancestor of the modern UK Conservative Party. ... Compact governments or compacts were the conservative colonial cliques that ruled colonies, particularly in British North America prior to the granting of responsible government. ... British North America was an informal term first used in 1783, but uncommon before the Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839), called the Durham Report. ...

The Family Compact developed after the War of 1812 and lasted (at least) until Upper and Lower Canada were united in 1841. In Lower Canada, its equivalent was the Château Clique. The influence of the Family Compact on the government administration at different levels lasted to the 1880s. Canadian Members of the Family Compact were described as adherents of "rabid Toryism" by Charles Dickens during his visit to North America. Some of the members were of dubious reputation, even in the eyes of their own circle. Combatants United States Native Americans Great Britain, Canadian provincial forces First Nations Peoples Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock† Tecumseh† Strength •U.S. Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war... Map of Lower Canada (green) Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence (1791-1841). ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Château Clique was a group of wealthy families in Lower Canada in the early 19th century. ... Dickens redirects here. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ...

The Family Compact controlled the government through the Executive Council, the advisors to the Lieutenant Governor, leaving the popularly elected Legislative Assembly with little real power. Members of the Family Compact ensured their conservative friends held the important positions in the colony through political patronage. The Executive Council of Upper Canada had a similar function to the Cabinet in England but was not responsible to the Legislative Assembly. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... The Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada was the legislature for the province of Upper Canada, which later became the province of Ontario. ...

The Family Compact was centred in Toronto, then called York. Its most important member was Bishop John Strachan; in fact, many of the other members were his former students, or people who were in some way related to him. The most prominent of Strachan's pupils was Sir John Beverley Robinson who was from 1829 the Chief Justice of Upper Canada for 34 years. The rest of the members were mostly descendants of United Empire Loyalists or recent upper-class British settlers. With this Loyalist background and under the leadership of Strachan, they were strong royalists, and supported the Church of England over not only Catholicism but other Protestant churches. They especially interpreted the Constitutional Act of 1791, which gave land grants to build Protestant churches, to refer to Anglican churches alone. They were able to act on this interpretation through the creation of the Clergy Corporation which oversaw the management of the reserves. This was opposed by the large numbers of Presbyterian Scottish settlers, as well as smaller groups of Methodists. Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Diversity Our Strength Image:Toronto, Ontario Location. ... John Strachan Dr. John Strachan (April 12, 1778 – November 1, 1867) was an influential figure in Upper Canada and the first Anglican Bishop of Toronto. ... John Beverley Robinson (1820-1896) was elected mayor of Toronto in 1856. ... Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 1829 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Church of England Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council  - Lower house Legislative... The name United Empire Loyalists is given to those British Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. ... The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[1] in England, and acts as the mother and senior branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo Communion. ... As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective , meaning general or universal[1] - is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... The Constitutional Act of 1791 was a British law which changed the government of the province of Quebec to accommodate the many English-speaking settlers, known as the United Empire Loyalists, who had arrived from the United States following the American Revolution. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Presbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. ... Motto: (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity(English) Wha daur meddle wi me? (Scots)[1] Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots[2] Government  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I... For the Methodist school of ancient Greek medicine, see Methodism (history of medicine) Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ...

The influence of the Family Compact was one of the chief concerns of all liberal-minded citizens of Upper Canada. The radical reformer William Lyon Mackenzie was, in particular, a most vocal advocate against the Family Compact. Mackenzie's frustration with their control of the government was one of the catalysts for the failed Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. Their hold on the government was reduced with the creation of the united Province of Canada and later the installation of the system of Responsible Government in Canada. William Lyon Mackenzie (March 12, 1795 – August 28, 1861) was a Canadian journalist, politician, and leader of an unsuccessful rebellion. ... The Republic of Canadas flag - the two stars represent Upper and Lower Canada. ... Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 (MDCCCXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Note: for information about Canadas present-day provinces, see Provinces and territories of Canada. ... Responsible government is a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ...