|
Quebec Act (An Act for making more effective Provision for the Government of the Province of Quebec in North America) was a British statute which received royal assent 22 June 1774 and became effective 1 May 1775. The Act enlarged the boundaries of the PROVINCE OF QUEBEC to include Labrador, Ile d'Anticosti and Iles de la Madeleine on the east, and the Indian territory south of the Great Lakes between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers on the west. The colony was to be governed by a governor and 17 to 23 appointed councillors; an elected assembly was not provided. Religious freedom was guaranteed for the colony's Roman Catholic majority, and a simplified Test Oath, which omitted references to religion, enabled them to enter public office conscientiously (see CATHOLICISM). The Act established French civil law and British criminal law and provided for continued use of the SEIGNEURIAL SYSTEM.
The Quebec Act was framed largely by Gov Sir Guy CARLETON, although not all of his policies were incorporated into it. The Quebec Act has been interpreted in a number of ways. Some felt it was an attempt to rectify some of the problems created by the ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1763, which dramatically reduced the size of NEW FRANCE, provided an untouchable Indian territory out of the vast western interior and promised an elected assembly. Others felt it was an attempt to deal more fairly with the colony's French Catholics, perhaps with a view to ensuring their loyalty in the event of troubles with the American colonies, and it effectively guaranteed the survival of the ancien régime society in North America. Territorial expansion was a recognition of Montréal's role in the continental economy, and the Act returned to the Québec economy its traditional links with the fisheries and interior FUR TRADE. American settlers were enraged when Québec acquired the Indian territory, which they perceived to be theirs by right; they considered the Quebec Act one of the "Intolerable Acts" which contributed to the outbreak of the AMERICAN REVOLUTION. Anglophone members of Québec's population, although pleased with the territorial expansion, were dissatisfied that an elected assembly was not provided for. The Quebec Act became less effective when LOYALISTS began arriving in the colony after 1783. It was eventually replaced by the CONSTITUTIONAL ACT, 1791, which created UPPER CANADA and LOWER CANADA.
 Carleton, Guy, 1st Baron DorchesterLord Guy Carleton was largely responsible for the Quebec Act, which helped to preserve French laws and customs (courtesy Library and Archives Canada/C-2833).
Author
NANCY BROWN FOULDS
Suggested Reading
Hilda Neatby, The Quebec Act (1972).
Links to Other Sites
Lower Canada
This overview of the political history of Lower Canada is part of the "Canadian Confederation" website at Library and Archives Canada. Also features historical maps.
The Quebec History Encyclopedia
An extensive information source about Québec history. Features texts from encyclopedias, biographical dictionaries, anthologies, and other references that were published at least 50 years ago. Some articles in French. Produced by Claude Bélanger, Marianopolis College.
Canadian Geographic: Historical Maps
Take a walk through the history of Canada. Select a year to see the maps and the history related to that era. From the "Canadian Geographic" website.
A Guide To Legislation In Pre-Confederation Quebec And Lower Canada
This fact filled website explains the origins of many types of legislation enacted in Quebec and Lower Canada. A great resource for history enthusiasts. From The Montreal History Group.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
| David Thompson was an outsider, struggling to find a foothold in the empire that had consumed his country... |
|
| Pierre Elliott Trudeau, politician, writer, constitutional lawyer, prime minister of Canada 1968-79 and 1980-84 (b at ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Louis Riel, Métis leader, founder of Manitoba, central figure in the NORTH-WEST REBELLION (b at Red River ... |
|
|
| Few countries were affected as severely as Canada by the worldwide Depression of the 1930s. It is estimated that ... |
|
|
| Evangelical Christian Church, often called the Christian Church (Christian Disciples), is a denomination stemming from ... |
|
|
| The Group of Seven was founded in 1920 as an organization of self-proclaimed modern artists. The original members - ... |
|
|
| Sears Canada Inc, headquartered in Toronto, is a Canadian retailer incorporated in 1952. In 1953 operating under the ... |
|
|
| John Ware, "Nigger John," horseman, rancher (b near Georgetown, SC 1845; d near Brooks, Alta 11 Sept 1905). ... |
|
|
| Land claims are dealt with by a process established by the federal government to enable INDIANS, INUIT and ... |
|
Browse the rich visual resources of The Canadian Encyclopedia through thematic galleries of Canadian Art, History, Nature, People, and Science and Technology.
Illustrations, lively text, animations, sounds and games help make learning about Canadian history, art, geography, architecture and other topics entertaining as well as informative.
The ultimate test of your knowledge of Canada, trivial and otherwise. You can choose from more than 60 dynamic quizzes with visual or text clues. Your scores depend on the speed with which you answer and the number of clues you need. Results are sent to you by email and high scores are posted on the site.
This unique resource includes more than 6000 events from Canadian and world history. It can be searched by era, subject, keyword or date. To find out what happened on your birthday, select the month and day of your birth.
This selection of the 100 "greatest" events in Canadian history was made by editor in chief James H. Marsh to draw attention to events that have left an indelible memory in the minds of later generations.
| THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MUSIC IN CANADA |
|
| Holt (b Blomfield), Patricia Blomfield. Composer, teacher, pianist, b Lindsay, Ont, 15 Sep 1910, d 5 Jun 2003. Self-taught during her early years, she studied and taught concurrently 1929-39 at the TCM , where her teachers ... |
|
|
