Lord Durham arrives in Upper Canada to investigate the 1837 rebellion
- When
- 1838–1839
- Where
- Lower Canada; Upper Canada; London
- Episodes
- 3
Lord Durham, appointed Governor General and High Commissioner for British North America in 1838, arrived in the Canadas to investigate the causes of the 1837 rebellions. His mission focused on political conditions in Upper and Lower Canada, leading to the submission of the Durham Report in 1839, which recommended reforms and legislative union.
Episodes
- Investigation of the Rebellions
Durham investigated the causes of the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada, focusing on political conditions and necessary reforms.
- Arrival in the Canadas
Lord Durham arrived in Lower Canada on 29 May 1838 with Edward Gibbon Wakefield to begin his investigation into the 1837 rebellions.
- Submission of the Durham Report
Durham submitted his report to Parliament in February 1839, recommending responsible government and legislative union, despite his earlier resignation.
Background and detail
Background. The 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada challenged colonial governance. In Upper Canada, an insurrection against the oligarchic Family Compact occurred in December 1837, led by William Lyon Mackenzie. Resistance lingered into 1838, supported by Hunters' Lodges. These events prompted British authorities to send Lord Durham to investigate the political situation and recommend necessary reforms.
Investigation Mission. Lord Durham was named Governor General and High Commissioner for British North America in 1838. His primary task was to investigate the political situation following the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada. He was sent by the British Parliament and Crown to determine causes and propose solutions to prevent future unrest.
Durham Report. Durham's investigation resulted in the Report on the Affairs of British North America, submitted to Parliament in February 1839. The report recommended responsible government and a legislative union of the Canadas and Maritime Provinces. It addressed concerns expressed during the rebellions, though Durham resigned in October 1838 before the report's final submission.
People involved
- John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham · Governor General and High Commissioner
- Edward Gibbon Wakefield · Colleague
- William Lyon Mackenzie · Rebel Leader
Sources
- John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-05
- Durham Report Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-17
- Upper Canada Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-20
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.