Cause and Effect: The Canadian Rebellions of 1837 and 1838

The research in this proposal primarily focuses on the rebellions that took place in both upper and Lower Canada during 1838. The time line of this proposal will include events prior to the actual rebellions as they are significant to the understanding of the causes of these uprisings. In 1837 and 1838, insurrections against the British colonial government arose in Lower and Upper Canada. Moderates hoped to reform the political system, while radicals yearned for a restructuring of both administration and society (Read , 19-21). During this time period an economic crisis had swept both Upper and Lower Canada. In Lower Canada many French habitants were suffering from famine and the accumulation of huge debts due to poor harvests. In Upper Canada the leading elite know as the Family Compact had a stranglehold on the Executive Council which in turn held a profound influence on the colonies governor (Outlett, 271-272). Both Canada's were besieged by conflicts not only in the political and economic spectrums, but more evidently in the division of there social classes. The causes of each rebellion are unique, and in both cases multiple conflicts within the social realm occurred. …