The Quebec Act of 1774 was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (citation 14 Geo. III c. 83) setting procedures of governance in the area of Quebec. This is a list of Acts of the Scottish Parliament. ... This is a list of Acts passed by the Parliament of Northern Ireland. ... This is a list of Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly passed by that body from its establishment in 2000 until its suspension in 2002 and from its re-establishment in 2007. ... This is a list of Measures of the National Assembly for Wales. ... The is a list of Orders in Council for Northern Ireland which are primary legislation for the province when the it is being directly ruled from London and also for those powers not devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly. ... Statutory Instruments (SIs) are parts of United Kingdom law separate from Acts of Parliament which do not require full Parliamentary approval before becoming law. ... An Act of Parliament or Act is law enacted by the parliament (see legislation). ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... , Motto: Je me souviens (French: I remember) Capital Quebec City Largest city Montreal Official languages French Government - Lieutenant-Governor Pierre Duchesne - Premier Jean Charest (PLQ) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 75 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area  Ranked 2nd - Total 1,542,056 km² (595...

Principal components of the act:

• Expansion of territory to take over the Canadian portions of the Indian Reserve (1763) that had separated Quebec from Rupert's Land including much of what is now southern Ontario
• Expansion of territory to take over land that is now in the United States (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota).
• Replaced the oath of allegiance so that it no longer made reference to the Protestant faith.
• Guaranteed free practice of the Catholic faith.
• Upheld the continued use of the French civil law for private matters while maintaining the use of the English common law for public administration, including criminal prosecution.

Map of the United States portion of the territory in 1775 after Quebec laid claim to the land north of the Ohio River. ... Ruperts Land Ruperts Land was a territory in British North America, consisting of the Hudson Bay drainage basin, most of it now part of modern Canada. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government - Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Springfield Largest city Chicago Largest metro area Chicago Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 25th  - Total 57,918 sq mi (149,998 km²)  - Width 210 miles (340 km)  - Length 390 miles (629 km)  - % water 4. ... Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... Official language(s) None (English, de-facto) Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Largest metro area Metro Detroit Area  Ranked 11th  - Total 97,990 sq mi (253,793 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 491 miles (790 km)  - % water 41. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... Official language(s) None Capital Madison Largest city Milwaukee Area  Ranked 23rd  - Total 65,498 sq mi (169,790 km²)  - Width 260 miles (420 km)  - Length 310 miles (500 km)  - % water 17  - Latitude 42° 30′ N to 47° 05′ N  - Longitude 86° 46′ W to 92° 53′ W Population  Ranked... Capital Saint Paul Largest city Minneapolis Area  Ranked 12th  - Total 87,014 sq mi (225,365 km²)  - Width 250 miles (400 km)  - Length 400 miles (645 km)  - % water 8. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... For other uses of civil law, see civil law. ... This article concerns the common-law legal system, as contrasted with the civil law legal system; for other meanings of the term, within the field of law, see common law (disambiguation). ...

Background

After the Seven Years' War, a victorious Great Britain achieved a peace agreement through the Treaty of Paris (1763). Under the terms of the treaty, the Kingdom of France chose to keep the islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique for their valuable sugar production instead of its vast North American territories east of the Mississippi River known as New France. New France was then considered less valuable, as its only significant commercial product at the time was beaver pelts. The territory located along the St. Lawrence River, called Canada by the French, was renamed Quebec by the British, after its capital. Combatants Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of Great Britain and its American Colonies Electorate of Hanover Iroquois Confederacy Kingdom of Portugal Electorate of Brunswick Electorate of Hesse-Kassel Philippines Archduchy of Austria Kingdom of France Empire of Russia Kingdom of Sweden Kingdom of Spain Electorate of Saxony Kingdom of Naples and... The Treaty of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on February 10, 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. ... This article is about sugar as food and as an important and widely-traded commodity. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... For the river in Canada, see Mississippi River (Ontario). ... Capital Quebec Language(s) French Religion Roman Catholicism Government Monarchy King See List of French monarchs Governor See list of Governors Legislature Sovereign Council of New France Historical era Ancien Régime in France  - Royal Control 1655  - Articles of Capitulation of Quebec 1759  - Articles of Capitulation of Montreal 1760  - Treaty... Species C. canadensis C. fiber Beavers are semi-aquatic rodents native to North America and Europe. ... A pelt is the skin of a (generally) wild animal. ... The Saint Lawrence River (French fleuve Saint-Laurent) is a large west-to-east flowing river in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. ... This article describes the Canadian province. ... Motto: Don de Dieu feray valoir (Gift of God shall make prosper) Area: 547. ...

The Canadians became British subjects, but to be admitted to any public office they were required to swear a test oath, rejecting their Catholic religion.

With unrest growing in the colonies to the south, which would one day grow into the American Revolution, the British were worried that the French Canadians might also support the growing rebellion. At that time, French Canadians formed the vast majority of the population of the province of Quebec (more than 99%) and British immigration was not going well. To secure the allegiance of the approximately 70,000 French Canadians to the British crown, first Governor James Murray and later Governor Guy Carleton promoted the need for action. There was a need to compromise between the conflicting demands of the new subjects and that of the newly arrived British subjects. This eventually resulted in the Quebec Act of 1774. John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... Portrait of James Murray as a young man by Allan Ramsay (1742) (Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh) James Murray (Ballencrieff, East Lothian, Scotland, 21 January 1721– 18 June 1794 Battle) was a British military officer, whose lengthy career included service as colonial administrator and governor of Quebec. ... Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester. ...

Effects on the Province of Quebec

Constitution of the Province of Quebec, 1775

The Quebec Act restored the former French civil tradition for private law, which had been ended in 1763, and allowed public office holders to practice the Roman Catholic faith. It replaced the oath to Elizabeth I and her heirs with one to George III which had no reference to the Protestant faith. In other words, for the first time since becoming a colony, French Canadians were able to participate in the affairs of the colonial government. However, there was no elected legislative assembly; the province was to be governed by an appointed governor and legislative council.^[1] As a result of this Act, the American revolutionaries failed to gain the support of the Canadians during the American Revolution. Finally, the act annexed, to Quebec, the area east of the Mississippi River and north of the Ohio River. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 553 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (984 × 1067 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 553 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (984 × 1067 pixel, file size: 73 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Oath of Supremacy, imposed by the Act of Supremacy 1559, provided for any person taking public or church office in England to swear allegiance to the monarch as Supreme Governor of the Church of England. ... This article is about Elizabeth I of England. ... “George III” redirects here. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Ceremonies during the annexation of Hawaii. ... View of Pittsburgh, the largest metropolitan area on the Ohio River, where the Allegheny River (left) and the Monongahela River (right) join at Point State Park to form the Ohio River Cincinnati, Ohio is a well known city along the Ohio River, historically known for its riverboats. ...

Participation of the Canadians

The internal communications of the British colonial government at Quebec suggest a relative failure of the purpose of the Quebec Act. On 4th February, 1775, Governor Guy Carleton writes to General Thomas Gage that he believes the Canadians to be generally happy with the act, yet he also adds: Sir Thomas Gage (1719 – April 2, 1787) was a British general and commander in chief of the North American forces from 1763 to 1775 during the early days of the American Revolution. ...

[...] I must not however conceal from Your Excellency, that the Gentry, well disposed, and heartily desirous as they are, to serve the Crown, and to serve it with Zeal, when formed into regular Corps, do not relish commanding a bare Militia, they never were used to that Service under the French Government, (and perhaps for good Reasons) besides the sudden Dismission of the Canadian Regiment raised in 1764, without Gratuity or Recompence to Offices, who engaged in our Service almost immediately after the Cession of the Country, of taking any Notice of them since, tho' they all expected half pay, is still uppermost in their Thoughts, and not likely to encourage their engaging a second Time in the same Way; as to the Habitants or Peasantry, ever since the Civil Authority has been introduced into the Province, the Government of it has hung so loose, and retained so little Power, they have in a Manner emancipated themselves, and it will require Time, and discreet Management likewise, to recall them to their ancient Habits of Obedience and Discipline; considering all the new Ideas they have been acquiring for these ten years past, can it be thought they will be pleased at being suddenly, and without Preparation embodied into a Militia, and marched from their Families, Lands, and Habitations to remote Provinces, and all the Horrors of War, which they have already experienced; It would give appearance of Truth to the Language of our Sons of Sedition, at this very Moment busily employed instilling into their Minds, that the Act was passed merely to serve the present Purposes of Government, and in the full Intention of ruling over them with all the Despotism of their ancient Masters. ^[2]

In the same communication, the temporary and circumstantial nature of the act is hinted to when he writes:

[...] It may be further observed, that the Act is no more than the Foundation of future Establishments; that the new Commissions and Instructions, expected out, are not yet arrived, and that the Dissolution of the present Constitution, if it deserves the Name, and Establishment of the new one, are still at some Distance; ^[3]

About 4 months later, Carleton's apprehensions regarding the ability of the Canadian noblesse and clergy to rule over the people are proved right. On June 7th, he writes to Colonial Secretary Dartmouth: William Legge, 2nd Earl of Dartmouth (June 20, 1731 - July 7, 1801) was a British statesman who is most remembered for his part in the government before and during the American Revolution. ...

My Lord! The 19th of last Month in the Evening, I received Intelligence from General Gage by Sea of the Rebels having commenced Hostilities in the Province of the Massachusetts, and Requesting I would send the 7th Regiment with some Companies of Canadians and Indians to Crown Point, in order to make a Diversion, and favour his Operations. [...] ^[4]

The little Force we have in the Province was immediately set in Motion, and ordered to assemble at or near St. John's; The Noblesse of this Neighbourhood were called upon to collect their Inhabitants, in order to defend themselves, the Savages of those Parts likewise had the same orders; but tho' the Gentlemen testified great Zeal, neither their Entreaties or their Example could prevail upon the People; a few of the Gentry, consisting principally of the Youth, residing in this Place, and its Neighbourhood, formed a small Corps of Volunteers under the Command of Mr. Samuel Mackay, and took Post at St. John's; the Indians shewed as much Backwardness as the Canadian Peasantry. [...] ^[5]

Less than a month later, on June 28th, 1775, Chief Justice William Hey writes to the Lord Chancellor from Quebec:

[...] What will be your Lordships astonishment when I tell you that an act passed for the express purpose of gratifying the Canadians & which was supposed to comprehend all that they either wished or wanted is become the first object of their discontent & dislike. English officers to command them in time of war, & English Laws to govern them in time of Peace, is the general wish. the former they know to be impossible (at least at present) & by the latter if I understand them right, they mean no Laws & no Government whatsoever - in the mean time it may be truly said that Gen. Carleton had taken an ill measure of the influence of the seigneurs & Clergy over the lower order of people whose Principle of conduct founded in fear & the sharpness of authority over them now no longer exercised, is unrestrained, & breaks out in every shape of contempt or detestation of those whom they used to behold with terror & who gave them I believe too many occasions to express it. And the on their parts have been and are too much elated with the advantages they supposed they should derive from the restoration of their old Priviledges & customs, & indulged themselves in a way of thinking & talking that gave very just offence, as well to their own People as to the English merchants. ^[6]

On September 21st, 1775, Lieutenant-Governor Cramahé, who replaces Carleton at Quebec, writes to Dartmouth on the failure to rally the people: Hector Theophilus de Cramahé was Lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Quebec, and titular Lieutenant Governor of Detroit. ...

My Lord ! I am sorry to transmit to Your Lordship the disagreeable account of a disagreeable Business, some time in the Beginning of this Month, upon NEws of the Rebel Army approaching, General Carleton set out for Montreal in great Haste; the 7th instant the Rebels landed in the Woods near St. John's, and beat back to their Boats by a Party of Savages incamped at that Place; in this Action the Savages behaved with great Spirit and Resolution, and had they remained firm to our Interests, probably the Province would have been save for this Year, but finding the Canadians in General averse to the taking up Arms for the Defence of their Country, they withdrew, and made their Peace. After their Defeat the Rebels retired to the Isle aux Noix, where they continued till lately, sending out some Parties, and many Emissaries, to debauch the Minds of the Canadians and Indians, in which they have proved too successful, and for which they were too well prepared by the Cabals and Intrigues of these two last years; We knew of their being reinforced, and very considerably, I suppose, as they appeared in Numbers near St. John's last Sunday Evening; where or when they landed, or the Particulars since, we have but very imperfect Accounts of, all Communications with the Forts of St. John's and Chambli, being, as far as I can find, entirely cut off. No Means have been left untried to bring the Canadian Peasantry to a Sense of their Duty, and engage them to take up arms in Defence of the Province, but all to no Purpose. The Justice must be done to the Gentry, Clergy, and most of the Bourgeoisie, that they have shewen the greatest Zeal and Fidelity to the King's Service, and exerted their best endeavours to reclaim their infatuated Countrymen; [...]^[7]

Effect on the Thirteen Colonies

While it is clear that the Quebec Act did much to secure the allegiance of the Canadiens to Britain, it had other unforeseen consequences. It was termed one of the Intolerable Acts by the American colonists, further contributing to the American Revolution. French Canadian (or Franco-Canadian) is a term that refers to Canada. ... This British cartoon, depicting the Intolerable Acts as an assault upon a Native American woman (a symbol of the American colonies), was copied and distributed by Paul Revere throughout the colonies. ...

American colonists had concerns with the provisions of the act. For one, it guaranteed that residents of the Ohio Country were free to profess the Roman Catholic faith. Settlers from Virginia and other colonies were already entering that area.^{[citation needed]} Land development companies had already been formed to drive out the Native inhabitants and exploit the territory. Many of the leaders of the American Revolution, such as George Washington and Daniel Boone, were wealthy land speculators who had much to gain by establishing a new government that would not be bound by British treaties with the Indians, such as the Proclamation of 1763, that recognized Indian rights to these lands.[1] Americans denounced the Act for promoting the growth of Papism and cutting back on freedom and traditional rights.^{[citation needed]} The Ohio Country, showing the present-day U.S. state boundaries The Ohio Country (sometimes called the Ohio Territory) was the name used in the 18th century for the regions of North America west of the Appalachian Mountains and in the region of the upper Ohio River south of Lake... This article is about the U.S. state. ... This article is about the people indigenous to the United States. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... This 1820 oil painting by Chester Harding is the only portrait of Daniel Boone made from life. ... The Royal Proclamation of 1763 was issued October 7, 1763 by the British government in the name of King George III to prohibit settlement by British colonists beyond the Appalachian Mountains in the lands captured by Britain from France in the French and Indian War/Seven Years War and to...

Langston (2006) looked at press reaction in New England. Some colonial editors explained their views on how it reorganized Canadian governance, explaining how they felt it established direct rule by the Crown and limiting the reach of English law to criminal jurisprudence. Isaiah Thomas of the Massachusetts Spy drew links between the Quebec Act and legislation circumscribing American liberties, such as the Tea Act and the Coercive Acts. Editors shaped public opinion by writing editorials and reprinting opposition letters from both sides of the Atlantic. The First Continental Congress, which met from 5 September to 26 October 1774, addressed the inhabitants of Quebec, warning them of the perils of the increasingly arbitrary, tyrannical, and oppressive nature of British government. Isaiah Thomas (1749-1831) was an American publisher and author. ... The history of American newspapers spans the history of the United States from 1700 till today. ... The Tea Act was an Act of the Parliament of Great Britain (13 Geo III c. ... The Intolerable Acts, called by the British the Coercive Acts or Punitive Acts, were a series of laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to the growing unrest in thirteen American colonies, particularly in Boston, Massachusetts after incidents such as the Boston Tea Party. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Editorial and Op-ed. ... The First Continental Congress was a body of representatives appointed by the legislatures of twelve North American colonies of Great Britain in 1774. ...

The Act was never enforced outside Canada. Its main importance was that it angered the rebels in the American colonies, weakened the Crown's supporters (Loyalists), and sped the confrontation that became the American Revolution (Miller 1943). The Act is listed as one of the rebels' grievances in the Declaration of Independence. When the war started the British Parliament made an unsuccessful effort to repeal the laws in hopes of mollifying the angry colonists, but it came too late. [[ This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen... The United States Declaration of Independence was an act of the Second Continental Congress, adopted on July 4, 1776, which declared that the Thirteen Colonies were independent of Great Britain. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ...

References

• Langston, Paul. "'Tyrant and Oppressor!' Colonial Press Reaction to the Quebec Act. Historical Journal of Massachusetts 2006 34(1): 1-17. Issn: 0276-8313
• Lawson, Philip. "'Sapped by Corruption': British Governance of Quebec and the Breakdown of Anglo-American Relations on the Eve of Revolution." Canadian Review of American Studies 1991 22(3): 301-323. Issn: 0007-7720 Full text: online in Ebsco
• John C. Miller; Origins of the American Revolution 1943. online version

1. ^ The appointed council was temporary, and composed of residents of the Province. Article XII, providing for an appointed Legislative Council, was repealed by the Constitutional Act of 1791. (See full text of act here.)
2. ^ Documents relating to the constitutional history of Canada 1759-1791, page 660
3. ^ Documents relating to the constitutional history of Canada 1759-1791, page 661
4. ^ Documents relating to the constitutional history of Canada 1759-1791, page 663
5. ^ Documents relating to the constitutional history of Canada 1759-1791, page 665
6. ^ Documents relating to the constitutional history of Canada 1759-1791, page 670
7. ^ Documents relating to the constitutional history of Canada 1759-1791, page 667

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. ...

See also

• Constitutional history of Canada
• Timeline of Quebec history
• History of Ontario
• History of Canada
• American Revolution

The constitutional history of Canada begins with the 1763 Treaty of Paris, in which France ceded most of New France to Great Britain. ... This article presents a detailed timeline of Quebec history both as part of the British Empire and the Dominion of Canada. ... Ontario came into being as a province of Canada in 1867. ... Canada is a country of 32 million inhabitants that occupies the northern portion of the North American continent, and is the worlds second largest country in area. ... John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia The American Revolution refers to the period during the last half of the 18th century in which the Thirteen...

External links

• Original text of The Quebec Act
• Full (clear) text of The Quebec Act - Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario)
• Canada in the Making - Constitutional History
• Article about the Quebec Act from the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica