Who were the Family Compact and Chateau Clique?
The Family Compact is the term used by historians for a small closed group of men who exercised most of the political, economic and judicial power in Upper Canada (today’s Ontario) from the 1810s to the 1840s. It was the Upper Canadian equivalent of the Château Clique in Lower Canada.
Who was in the Family Compact?
Key Figures. The two leading figures of the Family Compact were Chief Justice John Beverley Robinson and Anglican bishop John Strachan. Many members of the Family Compact, including Robinson, were Strachan’s students growing up.
What did Durham Think of the Family Compact?
Power was monopolized by the Family Compact, a group of ruling elites. (Durham’s close adviser Charles Buller called them “a petty, corrupt, insolent Tory clique.”) The Family Compact had been blocking economic and social development in a potentially wealthy colony.
What happened in the rebellion of 1837?
In 1837 and 1838, insurgents in Upper and Lower Canada led rebellions against the Crown and the political status quo. It led to the Act of Union, which merged the two colonies into the Province of Canada. It also resulted in the introduction of responsible government.
Who did the Chateau Clique represent?
The Château Clique, or Clique du Château, was a group of wealthy families in Lower Canada in the early 19th century. They were the Lower Canadian equivalent of the Family Compact in Upper Canada.
Who dominated the Château Clique?
Most of its families were British merchants, but some were French Canadian seigneurs who felt that their own interests were best served by an affiliation with this group. Some of the most prominent members were brewer John Molson and James McGill, the founder of McGill University.
What was the name of the group that monopolized positions on the executive and legislative councils in Upper Canada?
The government of the colony came to be dominated by a small group of persons, known as the “Family Compact”, who held most of the top positions in the Legislative Council and appointed officials. In 1837, an unsuccessful rebellion attempted to overthrow the undemocratic system.
What did the Durham report do?
The “Report” led to major reforms and democratic advances. The two Canadas were subsequently merged into a single colony, the Province of Canada, in the 1840 Act of Union. It moved Canada slowly on the path to “responsible government” (that is, self-government), which took a decade.
Why is Upper Canada Below Lower Canada?
The names “upper” and “lower” come from their position along the St. Lawrence River. Upper Canada was up river, closer to the source and Lower Canada was down river, closer to the mouth of the great waterway. To travel “up river” you had to paddle against the current.
What was the Family Compact in Upper Canada?
Family Compact. The term Family Compact is an epithet, or insulting nickname, used to describe the network of people who dominated the legislative, bureaucratic, business, religious and judicial centres of power in Upper Canada (Ontario) from the early- to mid-1800s.
What was the Family Compact and why is it important?
The Family Compact is the term used by historians for a small closed group of men who exercised most of the political, economic and judicial power in Upper Canada (today’s Ontario) from the 1810s to the 1840s. It was the Upper Canadian equivalent of the Château Clique in Lower Canada.
How many members of the Family Compact were Loyalists?
About half the members of the Family Compact were second-generation Loyalists. Loyalists were American colonists who supported the British during the American Revolutionary War (1775–83). Tens of thousands migrated to British North America during and after the war. They carried with them an innate distrust of democracy.
How did the Family Compact influence the Australian Government?
The Family Compact exerted influence over the government through the Executive Council and Legislative Council, the advisers to the Lieutenant Governor, leaving the popularly elected Legislative Assembly with little real power.