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Treaty of Utrecht signed
The Treaty of Utrecht was signed on this date in Utrecht in the Netherlands. It basically marked the end of the War of the Spanish Succession between France and Spain. Through this treaty, France gave up Acadia but gained the Caribbean Islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Acadia now basically was a British colony, with the exception of Ile Royale (present day Cape Breton Island). New France now was surrounded by the British. -
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Grade 7A History Timeline - 1713 to 1855
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Announcement of the Expulsion of the Acadians
The Acadians react as Winslow reads the order of expulsion to them in the Parish Church at Grand-Pre. -
Seven Years War
The Seven Years War was a world war that lasted from 1756 to 1763. It started in Europe on this date between Britain and France. It soon spread around the world including North America. Battles such as the Plains of Abraham were part of this war. It ended in 1763 with the Treaty of Paris. -
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
This painting is a depiction of General Wolfe dying in the battle. The French and British fought this battle on the Plains of Abraham just outside of Quebec. The British used a strategy of the "Thin Red Line" and defeated a disorganized French force in a very quick battle. Both the British commander (Wolfe) and the French commander (Montcalm) died as a result of the battle. With the victory, the British now controlled New France. -
Treaty of Paris, 1763
The French, Britiish, and Spanish signed the Treaty of Paris on this date, concluding the Seven Years' War and giving control of New France to the British. Britain also got control of Ile-Royale (Cape Breton Island) from France, and Florida from Spain. France retained fishing rights in Newfoundland and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. -
The Royal Proclamation of 1763
Now that Britain had control of New France, it needed to have some rules on how to govern this territory. Some of the key parts of this law included: smaller boundaries for Quebec, more First Nations territory, English civil law replacing French civil law, abolishment of the seigneurial system, those involved in the fur trade would now need a license. -
The Quebec Act, 1774
The Quebec Act of 1774 replaced the Royal Proclamation of 1763. It established French rights, many of which had been lost by the Royal Proclamation. The British realized that they needed to be allies with the French in case of an attack from America. -
American Declaration of Independence
The American Revolution, also known as the War of Independence, broke out in 1775 as a result of the anger of the British North Americans to the Quebec Act and the new taxes imposed by the British. Representatives from the Thirteen Colonies met in Philadelphia on this date and declared the United States of America to be an independent nation. -
Birchtown established by Black Loyalists
On this date, Black Loyalists founded the community of Birchtown, near present-day Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, many Blacks were not treated well by the white Loyalists, and over time became disheartened and eventually went to Africa in hope of a better life. -
North West Company established
The North West Company was a fur trading company established as a competitor to the Hudson's Bay Company which had a monopoly on fur trading at the time. The two companies competed with each other for a number of years, even having wars with each other, before merging in 1821. -
Constitutional Act, 1791
Due to the influx of the Loyalists, the British government passed the Constitutional Act. The Act made some changes to the Quebec Act of 1774, but the British didn't want to give the Loyalists too much power. It divided Quebec into two parts (Upper and Lower Canada), each Canada would have a lieutenant-governor, legislative council, and legislative assembly. Landowners in Lower Canada could land under the seigneurial or freehold system, but only under the freehold system in Upper Canada. -
Isaac Brock dies in the Battle of Queenston Heights
Isaac Brock had come to Canada in 1802 as a soldier. He originally thought that his life in Canada would be boring but it soon changed once the War of 1812 began. Brock was a great leader and worked with the First Nations leader Tecumseh to win the Battle of Detroit in August of 1812. The British also won the Battle of Queenston Heights in October of 1812, but Brock was killed by a sniper during this battle. A battle had been won but a leader was lost. -
Laura Secord talking to James FitzGibbon about American plans to invade
On this date, Laura Secord travelled approximately 32 km on foot to warn British commander James FitzGibbon of an impending American attack at Beaver Dams. -
Battle of the Thames (Moraviantown)
The Americans defeated the British at Moraviantown on this date, raising fears that the war may end soon, with the Americans winning. The battle marked the death of the great First Nations leader Tecumseh. General Henry Procter of the British could not contain the American invaders who scattered the defenders and even caused Procter to run for his life. -
Battle of the Chateauguay
On this date, a British force consisting of 1,630 regulars, volunteers and militia from Lower Canada and Mohawk warriors, commanded by Charles de Salaberry, repelled an American force of about 4,000, including 2,600 regulars, attempting to invade Lower Canada and ultimately attack Montreal. -
Battle of Lundy's Lane
The Battle of Lundy's Lane was one of the bloodiest battles in the War of 1812, resulting in heavy losses for both the British and American forces. The battle ended the American offensive in the Niagara region as they retreated shortly afterwards. -
Battle of Washington
This battle occurred during the final summer of the War of 1812, when the British attempted to divert the frontiers of the American forces from Upper and Lower Canada. On this date, the British captured the city of Washington and burned numerous public buildings, including the White House. The battle was regarded as a retaliation for the Battle of York in April 1813. -
Battle of Baltimore
The Battle of Baltimore was a sea/land battle fought between British invaders and American defenders in the War of 1812. American forces repulsed sea and land invasions off the busy port city of Baltimore, Maryland, and killed the commander of the invading British forces. The Americans retreated, but the British were not able to inflict the same damage that they had done on Washington a few weeks earlier. The "Star Spangled Banner" originated from the American defence during this battle. -
Treaty of Ghent signed
The War of 1812 officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in Belgium on this date. The treaty took five months to negotiate. In the treaty, impressment and the naval blockade were not mentioned, even though these had been among the major reasons the USA had declared war. Boundaries between the USA and British North America went back to the way they were before the war. -
Joseph Howe starts writing articles in Novascotian (newspaper) demanding reform
After writing his articles in his newspaper and bringing the issue of responsible government out in the open, Joseph Howe was elected to the Nova Scotia legislature in 1836. He worked with the Reformers to press for responsible government and eventually succeeded in February 1848. Nova Scotia was granted responsible government and was the first British colony in the world to achieve this. -
Louis-Joseph Papineau publishes Ninety-Two Resolutions to demand reform
Papineau's Ninety-Two Resolutions document contained grievances (complaints) that the Lower Canadian legislative assembly had with the British government. He wanted to make the legislative council into a body elected by the people. He also wanted the executive council to "be responsible to" the legislative assembly. Also, he wanted to abolish the seigneuries and turn them into freehold (privately owned) farms. The British did not want to grant major reform and a rebellion occurred in 1837. -
William Lyon Mackenzie expresses anger towards government
Mackenzie was angry with the government system and claimed that the officials at the top had all of the power. He used his newspaper, the "Colonial Advocate" to publish articles that insulted his political enemies. His anger eventually led a rebellion in Upper Canada just north of Toronto in December, 1837. -
Lord Durham arrives in Quebec City
Lord Durham was sent from Britain to Canada on this date for two main reasons. First of all, he was to determine why the recent rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada had occurred. Also, he was to prepare and present a report including recommendations on how to prevent future violence. His report was presented to the Colonial Office on February 4, 1839. Lord Durham's work eventually led the way to responsible government in the Canadas. -
Lord Durham's Report presented to the Colonial Office
Lord Durham had been sent to Quebec City the previous year to carry out two important tasks for the British government. One task was to prepare and present a report making recommendations for avoiding future violence. Key highlights of his report included him wanting to assimilate the French in Lower Canada (i.e. change them into English people over time). He also wanted responsible government in the Canadas. -
Act of Union
On this date, Upper and Lower Canada were united by the Act of Union. The two Canadas (Upper and Lower Canada) would now exist under one name - The Province of Canada (consisting of Canada East and Canada West). The new province would be led by a Governor. There were members appointed to the Executive Council and Legislative Council, as well as a House of Representatives where members were elected (an equal number from Canada East and Canada West). -
John Franklin sets sail for North America from England
On this date John Franklin and his crew set sail from England on the beginning of their Northwest Passage expedition during which they would chart the area. His ships ("Erebus" and "Terror") were state-of-the-art and included three years of canned food and a water distillation system. The boats ended up getting trapped in ice in present-day Nunavut, and it is thought that many of the crew died from lead poisoning.
