While the British were somewhat accommodating to the demands of the various groups that lived in Canada, they did not give way completely leading to continued tensions in the colony. While things had been done like creating the loyalty oaths that allowed French Catholics to hold public office and to bring in the recommendations of the Durham report and establish a responsible government. They as well made accommodations to groups such as American loyalists by giving them preferential land grants in an attempt to establish a model colony in Upper Canada. However dissent was still not allowed to be rise much as people would be dismissed from government if they started to criticize the policies that were being put into place. The British were willing to accommodate these groups so long as the colonial power remained as the primary force in Canada.
Factors that shaped the limits of British accommodation in BNA in the early 1800s boiled down to essentially changing demographics and the issues of political and cultural loyalties.
The influx of American Loyalists, concentrated in the new colony of Upper Canada, increased tensions between French, and English colonists, which put pressure onto the British government to accomodate to their separate needs. The French, needing the Catholic church and seigneurial system, forced the British to adapt their government to compensate, but at the same time, annoyed the English settlers.
Additionally, the new ideologies brought in by the Loyalists, forced the British government to become less accomodating to the natives. This was due to a shift in priorities. Now that there were English settlers and Loyalists that needed to be set up, native fur trade took a back seat.
Accommodations in British North America are an interesting part of the story leading up to Confederation. The British colonial government allowed certain things to take place that would change the demographics of the colony. One of the major things that they did was allow for the immigration of Americans, mainly British loyalists and Americans looking for land as the Ohio Valley and New England began to get more crowded. The governor of Upper Canada, where most of these settlers were ending up, was trying to encourage immigration in order to bolster his population, due to fears of American invasion during the Manifest Destiny years.
As well, Francophone peoples who were living in Upper Canada began to gain more rights, such as the ability to run for political office and to freely practice their religion. However, these accommodations were limited, and not everybody enjoyed them. Primarily, First Nations peoples were left out of these policies, and continued to undergo hardships brought on by disease and the unravelling of their culture.
The British colonial government used these tactics of accommodation in order to garner a more unified colony; one that could better stand up to attack or invasion. British North America was vulnerable, it was a resource rich area that was vastly underpopulated, meaning that a military invasion would be bad news for the British. Through these policies of accommodation for Americans and canadiens, both Upper and Lower Canada became stronger territories.
The limits of accommodation in British North America in the early 1800s were shaped by a couple factors; the loyalty of the people in British North America to the British government, the possibility of an American(as well as others especially because of the blockade Napoleon had on North America ) attack and the identity of the people in British North America(as a group who were they, what was their identity going to be and how was their identity going to be shaped). The British governed in a way that they hoped would gain the loyalty of the people while also getting some of the already loyal British settlers mad. They tried to get them to be identified and identify themselves as British. While having a British criminal law they had a French civil law to accommodate the Francophones as well as allowing Catholics to participate in politics. They also tried to help the settlers identify as being part British so that they would not go against the British and not assist the Americans if and when they did attack(after many American settlers settled in Upper Canada to increase the population size). Loyalty and identity towards the British and their government truly were the biggest factors for why the British accommodated in the way that they did. It was those 2 factors that limited the British to govern in such an accommodating way to unify and strengthen the colony by getting as many residents of the colony “on their side.”
There was one main factor that helped shape the limits of accommodation in British North America in the early 1800s – the changes in demographics, which led to the loyalty of the new settlers.
For example, in Upper Canada, there was an increase in the number of American Loyalists. The government enticed Loyalists to come to Canada with large land grants and positions in government in order to further populate Upper Canada. However, it enraged the settlers already present, as they were not given that opportunity. In Lower Canada, the Francophone settlers overwhelmed the amount of Anglophones in the area. This caused them to pressure the British government to accommodate their needs, which included the Catholic Church and the seigniorial system. In addition, they gained more rights such as running for political office and the right to vote.
Using the strategy of accommodation, the British government was able to create a more unified nation in order to protect itself potential invasion from the US.
Many factors in the newly British controlled colony were as such the loyalty of the French settlers who all were a majority of the populatation, and also the migration of the Americans from the south who were in search of new lands for further expansion and growth. When the government where in talks with luring new settlers with land it was assumed that they were to be loyal to the crown but it was not how they planned it, that in turn the accomodations for the new and old settlers were unsatisfied against the British crown and the elite Chateau clique who were in main control of the government and its laws over the people. They in turn made it madatory that everyone in the colony were to swear an oath of loalty to the British crown, they even made the Americans do so and when just an oath was not a enough they allowed the catholics and fracophones take part in all government and political aspects which was not in favor for the british settlers. When other settler who were not of the elite soceity started to bring an uproar they were quick to question the govrenment and their policies, with that in mind that was how the British were more accomodating then they really wanted to be but they did ended up having a more unified and a solid foundation for creating a govrenment what worked for all the people except the natives.
The level of accommodations that the British made for colonized Canada was heavily dependent upon how the colonists interacted with the British government. Loyalty seen among the French settlers, as well as the British nationalists that fled from America was a benifting factor to those who showed it. That being said however, the British were not fair with the inhabitants on all levels. It was very difficult for French Catholics to hold positions in office, as well as the right to vote. Yet, over time, these restrictions were reversed giving the French Canadains more freedom in the British colonies. The main concern of the British was making sure that the political power in Canada remained in the hands of the British, which they proved to be able to maintain. It worked out better for the British to be as accommodating as possible to the settlers than not. -Campbell Hart
The factors that shaped the limits of accommodation in British North America in the early 1800s came down to loyalty. When these loyalists began migrating to Upper Canada, the British wanted to offer them land to live on. So, the British accommodated them by providing them with this land. Because of this, the indigenous lost their territory; the settling loyalists were displacing them. The indigenous population were beginning to feel left out and forgotten by the British. The black loyalists also migrated to British North America, and they were offered land if they settled. But, this land was not as good as the land they offered to the whites. The British also changed their laws so that they could allow the French to hold a position in office. But, after the war of 1812 with the Americans, they felt like they had to question the loyalty of the American settlers in Upper Canada. They felt like they were no longer able to trust them so those who were not trustworthy were tried and hung, there were 50. The British continued to accommodate all groups as long as they remained loyal to the British government.
-Suman Lali
The limits of accommodation in British North America was shaped by a few different factors in the early 1800’s. One factor was the change of the demographics, which brought in loyalty from new settlers to the British government. The government brought in these American settlers to Upper Canada offering them large pieces of land, power within the government. The British also created loyalty oaths for the French-Catholics, allowing them to have positions in office if they swore to the oaths. These accommodations were beginning to work in everyones favour except the Native people. They had become less important to the British people.
The limits of accomodation in BNA in the early 1800s were shaped by factors like the loyalty oaths for the French in Lower Canada. These allowed the French to organize Catholic churches in their areas, and a seigneurial system. It also allowed the French to run for political office and have the right to vote. Another factor was the American loyalists moving north, especially into Upper Canada, but in Lower Canada, the francophones were overwhelmed by the increasing anglophone population. In Upper Canada, the American loyalists were given preferential land grants, but this was also taking away from the Aboriginals who had been living there for over 100 years, and had established a fur trade which was now not a priority to the British. The British were willing to accomodate to any group that was willing to remain loyal or become loyal to British Government. – Elizabeth Self
The level of accommodation that shaped in British North America was shaped by a few different factors, including loyalty and appeasement to the French in Lower Canada. The British were willing to accommodate the French but only if they swore an oath of loyalty to the British. For the French that swore this oath, they were grated opportunities in government or given large plots of land. Unfortunately, these acts of accommodation to the French left the Aboriginals in the dust. The Natives lost large plots of land and the fur trade that they had was not as important to the British. The British were only concerned with themselves and other groups that could be of aid to the British government.
General comments on Week 7:
Most of you did a good job answering the question about what factors shaped the willingness of the British to be accommodating. I was especially pleased that many of you picked up on demography being an important factor/context.
Examples of accommodation include the British coming up with oaths of neutrality for the Acadians, designing the delegate system so Acadians could participate in politics; the Proclamation of 1763 and the Quebec Act of 1774 are examples of how Indigenous people and the French Catholic majority in Quebec were accommodated. The creation of New Brunswick and the Constitutional Act, 1791 are ways the Loyalists were accommodated.
But, as most of you realized, the question is why? What was social, political, and economic factors led the British to do these things?
In addition to demography, in some cases it was war and the need for allies, in other cases it was the need to figure out a way to include the majority of European settlers in running the colony, in still others it was to preclude frustration and dissent on the part of those settlers.
Also you needed to recognize that the willingness of the British to accommodate different people changed over time. The best example of this is what happened to Indigenous people. Once important allies who had to be cultivated, Indigenous allies were pushed aside when British interests changed.
jamesrm, 
eself, and 9 others are discussing.
maxgardiner 5:35 pm on October 17, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
While the British were somewhat accommodating to the demands of the various groups that lived in Canada, they did not give way completely leading to continued tensions in the colony. While things had been done like creating the loyalty oaths that allowed French Catholics to hold public office and to bring in the recommendations of the Durham report and establish a responsible government. They as well made accommodations to groups such as American loyalists by giving them preferential land grants in an attempt to establish a model colony in Upper Canada. However dissent was still not allowed to be rise much as people would be dismissed from government if they started to criticize the policies that were being put into place. The British were willing to accommodate these groups so long as the colonial power remained as the primary force in Canada.
Tina Loo 1:08 pm on October 24, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good examples but can you elaborate on what you mean in your last sentence?
Vincent Yam 6:32 pm on October 17, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Factors that shaped the limits of British accommodation in BNA in the early 1800s boiled down to essentially changing demographics and the issues of political and cultural loyalties.
The influx of American Loyalists, concentrated in the new colony of Upper Canada, increased tensions between French, and English colonists, which put pressure onto the British government to accomodate to their separate needs. The French, needing the Catholic church and seigneurial system, forced the British to adapt their government to compensate, but at the same time, annoyed the English settlers.
Additionally, the new ideologies brought in by the Loyalists, forced the British government to become less accomodating to the natives. This was due to a shift in priorities. Now that there were English settlers and Loyalists that needed to be set up, native fur trade took a back seat.
Tina Loo 1:09 pm on October 24, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Great!
Tyler Cole 11:44 am on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Accommodations in British North America are an interesting part of the story leading up to Confederation. The British colonial government allowed certain things to take place that would change the demographics of the colony. One of the major things that they did was allow for the immigration of Americans, mainly British loyalists and Americans looking for land as the Ohio Valley and New England began to get more crowded. The governor of Upper Canada, where most of these settlers were ending up, was trying to encourage immigration in order to bolster his population, due to fears of American invasion during the Manifest Destiny years.
As well, Francophone peoples who were living in Upper Canada began to gain more rights, such as the ability to run for political office and to freely practice their religion. However, these accommodations were limited, and not everybody enjoyed them. Primarily, First Nations peoples were left out of these policies, and continued to undergo hardships brought on by disease and the unravelling of their culture.
The British colonial government used these tactics of accommodation in order to garner a more unified colony; one that could better stand up to attack or invasion. British North America was vulnerable, it was a resource rich area that was vastly underpopulated, meaning that a military invasion would be bad news for the British. Through these policies of accommodation for Americans and canadiens, both Upper and Lower Canada became stronger territories.
Tina Loo 1:09 pm on October 24, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Good answer!
Connor Munro 12:32 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The limits of accommodation in British North America in the early 1800s were shaped by a couple factors; the loyalty of the people in British North America to the British government, the possibility of an American(as well as others especially because of the blockade Napoleon had on North America ) attack and the identity of the people in British North America(as a group who were they, what was their identity going to be and how was their identity going to be shaped). The British governed in a way that they hoped would gain the loyalty of the people while also getting some of the already loyal British settlers mad. They tried to get them to be identified and identify themselves as British. While having a British criminal law they had a French civil law to accommodate the Francophones as well as allowing Catholics to participate in politics. They also tried to help the settlers identify as being part British so that they would not go against the British and not assist the Americans if and when they did attack(after many American settlers settled in Upper Canada to increase the population size). Loyalty and identity towards the British and their government truly were the biggest factors for why the British accommodated in the way that they did. It was those 2 factors that limited the British to govern in such an accommodating way to unify and strengthen the colony by getting as many residents of the colony “on their side.”
Tamara Ling 12:32 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
There was one main factor that helped shape the limits of accommodation in British North America in the early 1800s – the changes in demographics, which led to the loyalty of the new settlers.
For example, in Upper Canada, there was an increase in the number of American Loyalists. The government enticed Loyalists to come to Canada with large land grants and positions in government in order to further populate Upper Canada. However, it enraged the settlers already present, as they were not given that opportunity. In Lower Canada, the Francophone settlers overwhelmed the amount of Anglophones in the area. This caused them to pressure the British government to accommodate their needs, which included the Catholic Church and the seigniorial system. In addition, they gained more rights such as running for political office and the right to vote.
Using the strategy of accommodation, the British government was able to create a more unified nation in order to protect itself potential invasion from the US.
jonathangeorge 1:32 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Many factors in the newly British controlled colony were as such the loyalty of the French settlers who all were a majority of the populatation, and also the migration of the Americans from the south who were in search of new lands for further expansion and growth. When the government where in talks with luring new settlers with land it was assumed that they were to be loyal to the crown but it was not how they planned it, that in turn the accomodations for the new and old settlers were unsatisfied against the British crown and the elite Chateau clique who were in main control of the government and its laws over the people. They in turn made it madatory that everyone in the colony were to swear an oath of loalty to the British crown, they even made the Americans do so and when just an oath was not a enough they allowed the catholics and fracophones take part in all government and political aspects which was not in favor for the british settlers. When other settler who were not of the elite soceity started to bring an uproar they were quick to question the govrenment and their policies, with that in mind that was how the British were more accomodating then they really wanted to be but they did ended up having a more unified and a solid foundation for creating a govrenment what worked for all the people except the natives.
Tina Loo 1:11 pm on October 24, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Jonathan, why were the British accommodating to certain groups at certain times? That’s the key….
hartcamp 2:31 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The level of accommodations that the British made for colonized Canada was heavily dependent upon how the colonists interacted with the British government. Loyalty seen among the French settlers, as well as the British nationalists that fled from America was a benifting factor to those who showed it. That being said however, the British were not fair with the inhabitants on all levels. It was very difficult for French Catholics to hold positions in office, as well as the right to vote. Yet, over time, these restrictions were reversed giving the French Canadains more freedom in the British colonies. The main concern of the British was making sure that the political power in Canada remained in the hands of the British, which they proved to be able to maintain. It worked out better for the British to be as accommodating as possible to the settlers than not. -Campbell Hart
slali 2:41 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The factors that shaped the limits of accommodation in British North America in the early 1800s came down to loyalty. When these loyalists began migrating to Upper Canada, the British wanted to offer them land to live on. So, the British accommodated them by providing them with this land. Because of this, the indigenous lost their territory; the settling loyalists were displacing them. The indigenous population were beginning to feel left out and forgotten by the British. The black loyalists also migrated to British North America, and they were offered land if they settled. But, this land was not as good as the land they offered to the whites. The British also changed their laws so that they could allow the French to hold a position in office. But, after the war of 1812 with the Americans, they felt like they had to question the loyalty of the American settlers in Upper Canada. They felt like they were no longer able to trust them so those who were not trustworthy were tried and hung, there were 50. The British continued to accommodate all groups as long as they remained loyal to the British government.
-Suman Lali
bedard 2:43 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The limits of accommodation in British North America was shaped by a few different factors in the early 1800’s. One factor was the change of the demographics, which brought in loyalty from new settlers to the British government. The government brought in these American settlers to Upper Canada offering them large pieces of land, power within the government. The British also created loyalty oaths for the French-Catholics, allowing them to have positions in office if they swore to the oaths. These accommodations were beginning to work in everyones favour except the Native people. They had become less important to the British people.
Owen Bedard
eself 2:59 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The limits of accomodation in BNA in the early 1800s were shaped by factors like the loyalty oaths for the French in Lower Canada. These allowed the French to organize Catholic churches in their areas, and a seigneurial system. It also allowed the French to run for political office and have the right to vote. Another factor was the American loyalists moving north, especially into Upper Canada, but in Lower Canada, the francophones were overwhelmed by the increasing anglophone population. In Upper Canada, the American loyalists were given preferential land grants, but this was also taking away from the Aboriginals who had been living there for over 100 years, and had established a fur trade which was now not a priority to the British. The British were willing to accomodate to any group that was willing to remain loyal or become loyal to British Government. – Elizabeth Self
jamesrm 4:41 pm on October 18, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
The level of accommodation that shaped in British North America was shaped by a few different factors, including loyalty and appeasement to the French in Lower Canada. The British were willing to accommodate the French but only if they swore an oath of loyalty to the British. For the French that swore this oath, they were grated opportunities in government or given large plots of land. Unfortunately, these acts of accommodation to the French left the Aboriginals in the dust. The Natives lost large plots of land and the fur trade that they had was not as important to the British. The British were only concerned with themselves and other groups that could be of aid to the British government.
Tina Loo 1:15 pm on October 24, 2013 Permalink | Log in to Reply
General comments on Week 7:
Most of you did a good job answering the question about what factors shaped the willingness of the British to be accommodating. I was especially pleased that many of you picked up on demography being an important factor/context.
Examples of accommodation include the British coming up with oaths of neutrality for the Acadians, designing the delegate system so Acadians could participate in politics; the Proclamation of 1763 and the Quebec Act of 1774 are examples of how Indigenous people and the French Catholic majority in Quebec were accommodated. The creation of New Brunswick and the Constitutional Act, 1791 are ways the Loyalists were accommodated.
But, as most of you realized, the question is why? What was social, political, and economic factors led the British to do these things?
In addition to demography, in some cases it was war and the need for allies, in other cases it was the need to figure out a way to include the majority of European settlers in running the colony, in still others it was to preclude frustration and dissent on the part of those settlers.
Also you needed to recognize that the willingness of the British to accommodate different people changed over time. The best example of this is what happened to Indigenous people. Once important allies who had to be cultivated, Indigenous allies were pushed aside when British interests changed.