|
Family Compact |
Lower Canada Reform
| Upper Canada Reform
| William Lyon
Mackenzie | Louis
Joseph Papineau | The
Maritimes | Durham
Report The
Family compact was a group of powerful men in Upper
Canada who held power through the legislative assembly
and the executive council. They were men who controlled
the business, the politics and the religious affairs of
the colony. The executive council was appointed by the
Governor of the colony under the general recommendations
of the legislature. The legislature was elected from the
general eligible voters but through pressure, blackmail,
bribery and other methods, the Family Compact insured
that it was their people who were elected and the
executive council also threw their support behind the
compact candidates.
Their power had grown
after the end of the war of 1812 - 1815 and they managed
to hold power until around 1848 when responsible
government was final granted and fair election could be
held. A reform
opposition grew developed from the general population
who were taken advantage of for the benefit of the
Family Compact. The newly arriving immigrants from both
Canada and the United States found themselves cut off
from power and hence they also began to support the
reform party.
The religious aspects of this situation also embittered
the situation due to the fact that the Family Compact
was almost entirely Anglican church members so the other
religions were not support by the compact.
One of the most vocal opponents of the
Family Compact was William Lyon Mackenzie who published
the Colonial Advocate which he had relocate to
York in 1824 which was the main area of support for the
Family Compact. |
