Durham's report Flashcards
What political faction in Britain had Durham been close to?
What major Act was he responsible for passing in 1832?
How was he referred to by his peers in gov’t due to his advocation i.e. household suffrage?
Who wanted to keep him out of gov’t ?
Why was Durham persuaded to take on the Canadian question in 1837?
-Durham was part of the Whig inner circle.
-He had been responsible for passing the Great Reform Act in 1832.
-He was known as “Radical Jack” for his radical views like household suffrage.
-Lord Melbourne.
-Durham was persuaded to take on the Canadian question in 1837 as the Gosford Commission failed.
-What year did Durham become High Commissioner for the Canadas?
Was he successful in stabilising the political situation?
Were all reformers engaged in finding legal solutions?
Was the trouble that followed his departure easy to deal with?
What successful approach did Durham take winning him support regarding communication and criticism in Canada?
Who was his predecessor? Was he more successful? Why?
-Durham was High Commissioner from 1838 for the Canadas.
-While High commissioner for the Canadas, Lord Durham stabilised the political situation in both provinces.
-All but the most extreme Reformers were engaged in finding a solution with London.
-YES. The trouble that had followed his departure in Lower Canada was dealt with quickly.
-Durham consulted widely and quickly and discounted those who had previously held power in a tight circle.(Chateau Clique)(Family Compact)
-He was more successful than his predecessor, Lord Gosford, perhaps since his time in office was so short and he didn’t have time to disappoint anyone.
Who intervened due to Durham’s choice in advisers? Did Durham listen? What does this show his disregard for?
What was contentious regarding the choice of Thomas Turton? Wakefield?
How long did Durham’s mission in Canada last for?
Where did him and his aides gather evidence for their report? What position did he effectively retain at the time?
-Durham’s choice of advisers led Melbourne to intervene immediately.
-Durham ignored Melbourne but his choice shows his disregard for convention.
-Thomas Turton had been sued by his ex-wife who had cited adultery.
-Wakefield had spent time in prison for attempted abduction of a school girl.
-Durham’s mission lasted four and a half months before censure from London.
-During that time, he and his aides met with Canadians to gather evidence for his report that he was effectively the executive power at the time.
What did Durham remove upon arriving at Lower Canada? What did he issue instead regarding reform?
What did he make contact with the USA concerning? What did they set up in response?
What was set up to investigate the system of land tenure and immigration?
What was Durham instructed to do with the prisoners following the rebellion?
What did he do instead?
What was in question about this decision?
How did Lord Brougham try to capitalise from this?
When did Durham resign?
-Upon arriving at Lower Canada, Durham removed the old executive Council.
-He issued a proclamation that he would work with anyone who sought peaceful reform.
-He made contact with the USA over troublemakers entering Canada and border patrols were set up.
-A commission was set up to investigate the system of land tenure and to change the system so that land was not freely given to immigrants.
-Durham had been instructed to free most political prisoners to persuade a small number to plead guilty and be exiled to the USA.
-Instead, Durham pardoned the majority but banished the ‘most’ guilty to Bermuda.
-The legality of this was in question.
-Lord Brougham tried to destabilise Melbourne’s government by proposing a Bill of Indemnity against Durham.
-Durham resigned in October 1838.
Why did Durham resign?
What was burned to signal the support Durham had gained in Canada following his resignation?
Why did Melbourne go hard on Durham?
Although contributing to the short life of his mission what did Durham’s choice in aid highlight regarding his qualities?
What did Brougham say regarding the production of the Durham report & those involved?
What were Wakefield and Buller active in doing?
What was Buller made commissioner of? Who unofficially supervised this?
What system did they plan regarding land tenure?(respectable colonists?)
Was this brought into legislation?
-Durham resigned as he was not prepared to submit to censure.
-Durham was supported and an effigy of Brougham was burned in Lower Canada.
-Melbourne did not want to risk his government defending Durham.
-It also showed a sharp eye of particular skills.
-Brougham said that “Wakefield thought of it, Buller wrote it and Durham signed it”.
-Wakefield and Buller were active in interviewing Canadians and incorporated some ideas into their final report.
-Buller was made commissioner of crown lands, supported unofficially by Wakefield.
-A system of sale of land rather than free grants was devised to encourage respectable colonists.(English rather than Irish).
-NO. Policy itself didn’t change.
What idea did Wakefield develop regarding colonisation?
What did he argue was the root problem regarding the land tenure system?
What did he think would introduce worthy settlers?
What did he want to do with the two Canadas?
Was Buller affected by the scandal of Wakefield?
Who was Buller sympathetic to? What did he think caused the revolt?
What idea did Buller have which brought Durham down?
-Wakefield had developed the idea of systematic colonisation.
-He regarded the system of free land grants in Canada as the root of the problems.
-He wanted worthy settlers through selling land.
-Advocated for unifying the two Canada’s.
-Buller was not hit by the scandal of Wakefield.
-He was sympathetic to the Canadian rebels and thought that it was British policy that had caused them to revolt.
-It was his idea to banish the rebels to Bermuda which had brought Durham down.
What population in Canada did the report completely neglect to mention?
What systems can it be criticised for sweeping away abruptly?
When was responsible self government granted to the Canadian colonies?
Who else was granted responsible self government following this?
What is credited for preventing?
-The report completely neglected to mention the indigenous population of Canada.
-It can also be criticised for sweeping away French systems very abruptly.
-Responsible self government was granted to the Canadian colonies from 1848.
-Then other white settler colonies like Australia and New Zealand.
-It could possibly be credited with preventing the departure of colonies from the Empire as had happened in America.
What did the Acts of union in the 1840s break the majority of?
What became the only official language?
Was Wakefields systematic colonisation adopted in Canada?
Where was it adopted?
Why did the Aborigines protection society contest the report despite accepting that natives should be ruled over?
-1840 Act of Union- unified Upper and Lower Canada breaking French majority.
-English became the only official language. French is no longer considered.
-NO. Wakefield recommends systematic colonisation- to sell land at high price was ignored.
-However, adopted in New Zealand not too long after.
-Aborigines Protection Society accepted the ruling of Natives. But disagreed with the neglect of Natives by government’s. Through worries of them being extinct.
