|
Family Compact |
Lower Canada Reform |
Upper Canada Reform
| William Lyon
MacKenzie | Louis
Joseph Papineau | The
Maritimes | Durham
Report The
Chateau Clique was similar to the Family Compact which
existed in Upper Canada but with the very important
difference that it was progressively attempting to
Anglicize Lower Canada. The Clique was lead by English
speaking merchants who had been able to squeeze the
French Canadians out of political power and take control
of both the executive and legislative councils. They
systematically began hireling mainly English Canadians
for civil servant and other government appointed
positions. Laws and legislation were passed with favour
the English merchant community and the social and
business structure of the seigniorial system was
assaulted in order to eliminate those French leaders as
a class and competitor for political or business spoils.
Anglophones such as John Molson or Molson beer fame and
James McGill were major leaders in the English community
and the colonial government.
The name Chateau
Clique was used because of the proximity of the
Governors residence on Chateau St Louis beside the
government offices. The council and legislature advised
the Governor and their advice was of course intended to
advantage their own English Canadian interests.
The Clique did work for the specific
improvement of the colony in the development of business
banking structures, the transportation infrastructure
and other items that would compliment the business
community. The Clique also worked to eliminate the
French Civil Law and replace it with the more familiar
British system or laws. This attack on the French
Canadian system and heritage was viewed as a first step
towards assimilating the Franco-phone community, which
it was. By 1822
the Clique was backing a program which would result in
the uniting of Upper and Lower Canada with the intention
of swallowing up the French Canadian culture, language
and heritage in a large English majority society. This
was opposed by the French Canadian population and the
emergence of Louis Joseph Papineau in opposition to
these efforts was the first sign of an impending clash
between cultures. |
