Division of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada

The act divided the old Province of Quebec, with its population of 145,000 French-speaking Canadiens, into Lower Canada and Upper Canada, each with its own parliament and government, when it took effect on 26 December 1791. The largely unpopulated western half became Upper Canada (now southern Ontario) and the eastern half became Lower Canada (now southern Quebec), with the names given according to their relative elevation along the St. Lawrence. Upper Canada received English law and institutions, while Lower Canada retained French civil law and institutions, including seigneurial land tenure and the privileges accorded to the Roman Catholic Church.