French Nationalism

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French Nationalism

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French and English Clashes in the first decade of the nineteenth
century & the Birth of French-Canadian Nationalism
For nearly two centuries the inhabitants of New France lived their day to day lives
under the French Regime. The colony of New France was shaped by such institutions as the
Catholic Church, and the seigneural system. After the Conquest of 1763, the inhabitants of
New France now found themselves under the control of the British monarch. However, the
life for the inhabitants of New France, virtually remained unchanged. It was not until the
American Revolution, that the inhabitants of New France began to feel the British presence.
As a result of the American Revolution many British subjects, who became known as the
United Empire Loyalists migrated north to the British colonies. The loyalists who settled
in colonies were uneasy by the lack of government and demanded that some form of
government be established. The British, who feared another war in North America, were
quick to appease the loyalists concerns. Thus in 1791 the Constitution Act was
implemented. From its implementation major clashes developed between the French and
English populations. These major clashes in Lower Canada in the first decade of the
nineteenth century were caused by the implementation of the Constitution Act of 1791. It
will be shown that the French-Canadian response to these tensions gave way for the birth of
French-Canadian nationalism.
The Constitution Act of 1791, which was a result of loyalists demands, left some
English feeling somewhat dissatisfied, particularly with the division of the colony into
Upper and Lower Canada.
In Lower Canada the French population held an overwhelming majority with 146, 000 over
the English population which was only 10,000. The French population, who were pleased
that they were a majority in their own colony, also had concerns with the Constitution Act
of 1791. The French population consisted mainly of habitants, and other lower class trades.
On the opposite end of the spectrum was the English population who dominated the
industrial and commercial sectors of Lower Canada(particularly the region around the St.
Lawrence). This gave the English a huge advantage over the French, economically and
socially. The French and English who basically lived independent from one another, did feel
immediate tensions, yet for the Canadiens it was the threat of assimilation that always
lingered. The implementation of the Brit...

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