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It was a difficult time in Lower Canada. Bad harvests caused many Canadian families to go hungry. The discriminatory policy of Upper Canada's lieutenant-governor Francis Bond Head regarding the Family Compact and new British immigrants, made the long-established colonists of American origin angry. Reformists in Upper Canada and the Patriot Party in Lower Canada held the majority in each of their respective parties.
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In Upper Canada small insurrections were popping up mainly because of dissatisfaction with the Family Compact. In Lower Canada a battle was being held between the Assembly controlled by the Patriot Party, led by Louis-Joseph Papineau, and the British group that controlled the Executive Council and the Legislative Council.
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The big insurrection in Upper Canada led by William Lyon Makenzie is overturned despite their brave efforts. England begins to worry that Canada will become like the United States of America.
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The insurrections in Lower Canada were spread out and well timed allthough they all were extuinguished by John Colburne's troops. Despite this England begins to worry that the threat is getting too severe and so plan to send Lord Durham to resolve this problem.
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England has gotten woried with all the rebellions and so sends Lord Durham to America to come up with a solution. Lord Durham promises that they will get a responsible government and that all French Canadians will be assimilated. Nobody listens to him however and the insurrections get more and more severe. This causes England's worry to increase greatly rather than improve as planned.
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William Lyon MacKenzie decided to lead a military expedition toward Toronto on December 6, 1837. Poorly led, his troops were easily chased away by a few loyalist guards to Britain.
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By 1838, the rebellions had intensified. In the two colonies, rebels launched many cross-border raids from the United States. In both cases, the insurrections were defeated by British troops and volunteers who had remained loyal to British authorities (most of them because they were threatend). Rebels launched several cross-border raids from the United States. Greatly influenced by the Americans, Mackenzie proclaimed the republic of Upper Canada on December 13, 1837 much to Britains dismay.
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Today Robert Nelson proclaims the rebublic of Lower Canada although the Canadaian citizens would have to wait until 1848 for the British government to grant them responsible government.
