Download The American Revolution or Canadian Evolution

The American Revolution or
Canadian Evolution
Effects of the American
Revolution
 The
American Revolution created two
new countries.
The new country of the United States
The future nation of Canada.
Treaty of Paris
 The
Treaty of Paris, signed in 1763,
formally ended the Seven Years War
between France and Britain.
 The lands of New France were
transferred to Britain.
 The Canadiens kept their religion and
language.
American Revolution
 Peace
for the British empire would be
short lived
 13 of its North American Colonies would
revolt because they were tired of Britain
not looking out for the best interests of
the colonies.
Louisbourg given back to the French in 1749
Royal Proclamation of 1763 giving Aboriginal
Peoples land rights
Quebec Act of 1774 reminded Americans that
elected assemblies were not a right
More Causes

The Americans wanted “no taxation with out
representation”

The British government refused and continued impose
high taxes on the American colonies because of the
cost of the Seven Years War and to cover the 10 000
standing army to guard forts in the Ohio Valley
What about Canada?
The Americans believed that they would find
allies in Quebec, Nova Scotia and some of the
First Nations tribes.
 The French-Canadians remained neutral

They did not see anything to gain from revolting
(The Americans were notoriously anti-French)
They enjoyed their life under British rule since it
was not harsh (They had religious freedoms not
seen elsewhere in the British Empire)
Cont’d
 In
1774, George Washington also
denounced French culture and the
Roman Catholic religion.
 The French-Canadians did not see the
point of risking what they had for the
unknown.
 When Quebec was attacked in 1775,
the Habitants would not fight.
British Aboriginal Allies
The Aboriginals of Six Nations fought
alongside the British
 Thought that the British would protect their
land in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes
regions.
 George Washington ordered the destruction
of Iroquois villages in retaliation
 The Treaties of Versailles and Paris did not
protect the land of the Aboriginals when the
war ended

Joseph Brant
Mohawk chief who had been educated in English and
served with the British during the Seven Years’ War.
 Thayendanegea (Mohawk name) was responsible to
rallying the Six Nations to fight against the Americans
 Felt betrayed by not even a mention of Aboriginals in
the Treaty of Paris of 1783
 British relocated Six Nations to 275 000 hectares of
Crown land in 1784.
 By 1828 only a third of the land remained in the hands
of the Six Nations.

The Aftermath of the
Revolution
 On
July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of
Independence officially created the
United States of America
 After years of fighting, with the help of
the French, finally defeated Britain in
1781
 This forced the British to give up control
over the American colonies
United Empire Loyalist
The United Empire Loyalists/Tories resisted
the Rebels/Patriots and fought along side of
the British.
 The Loyalists were persecuted for their stand,
and their property and possessions were
stolen from them.
 Thousands of Loyalists left the U.S to resettle
in territories still controlled by Britain.

The Loyalists
50 000 loyalists from all backgrounds came to
British North America.
 34 000 arrived in the colony of Nova Scotia.
 The most prosperous Loyalist settlement was
located along the banks of the St. John River
and the Fundy Shore.
 This saw the formation of places names
Fredericton, St. Andrew, and Saint John.

Black Loyalists
 During
the Revolution Britain offered Black
slaves freedom if they sided with them.
 Both Britain and America at the time still
supported slavery
Slavery was abolished in the British Empire
(including Canada) in 1833
The United States abolished slavery in 1865
after the American Civil War
Black Loyalists
 After
the war Black slaves were forced
with the choice of returning to the life
of slavery or run to the British
controlled Canada and have freedom,
as well as the promise of free land.
 If they returned to their Masters they
would surely be treated worse than
before the war.
Black Loyalists
 Over
3000 Black Loyalists would travel
to Nova Scotia and settle in towns such
as Preston and Shelburne.
 However, when they arrived they would
quickly find out that the land they were
promised was small and not suited to
farming.
Black Loyalists
They soon found out that freedom did not
necessarily mean equality
 Often the land they were given was so bad
they had to become indentured servants
or tenant farmers.
 This meant they had to work another persons
land for a wage.
 Sometimes they lived on the farm and were
basically slaves once again.
 After a few years, 1200 left for Sierra Leone.

Loyalist Influence on Canada
 10
000 Loyalists also went to Quebec,
where they were given free land grants.
 While they only totaled 10 percent of
the population, they created huge
changes.
 They created a huge British influence
on a French society.
Constitutional Act of 1791
The British brought with them their English
culture. They also brought the Protestant
religion and set up the Anglican Church.
 They major change occurred with the
Constitutional Act of 1791 which split
Quebec into Upper Canada (Ontario) and
Lower Canada (Quebec) each with its own
elected assembly.
