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1791 in Canada
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April 2026
August 2023
1791
Events from the year 1791 in Canada.
Incumbents
Monarch: George IIIKings and Queens of Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/royal-family/kings-queens.html#e2 aem 24 February 2021 11 August 2017
Federal government
Parliament of Lower Canada — 1st
Parliament of Upper Canada — 1st
Governors
Governor of the Canadas: Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester
Governor of New Brunswick: Thomas Carleton
Governor of Nova Scotia: John Parr
Commodore-Governor of Newfoundland: John Elliot
Governor of St. John's Island: Edmund Fanning
Events
1791–95 – British Captain George Vancouver explores Northwest Coast exhaustively with two ships, but finds no Northwest Passage.
Edmund Burke supports the proposed constitution for Canada, saying that: "To attempt to amalgamate two populations, composed of races of men diverse in language, laws and habitudes, is a complete absurdity. Let the proposed constitution be founded on man's nature, the only solid basis for an enduring government."
Charles James Fox declares that "Canada ought to remain attached to Great Britain through the good-will of the Canadians alone."
Lord Grenville, denying that Canadian attachment to French jurisprudence is due to prejudice, says it is founded "on the noblest sentiments of the human breast."
George Vancouver leaves England to explore the west coast; Alejandro Malaspina also explores the northwest coast for Spain.
In response to Loyalist demands, the Constitutional Act 1791 divides Quebec into Lower Canada (mostly French) and Upper Canada (mostly English who recently migrated from America). In so doing, the Crown hopes to create a stable society that is distinctly non-American. Although French-Canadians retain the privileges granted by the Quebec Act, the Anglican church receives preferred status, including the clergy reserves.
An Anglo-French colonial aristocracy of rich merchants, leading officials, and landholders is expected to work with the royal governors to ensure proper order. Legislative assemblies, although elected by propertied voters, have little real power.
Population of Lower Canada is 160,000. Population of Upper Canada is 14,000.
Births
January 5 – John Bethune, Anglican clergyman (d. 1872)John Irwin Cooper Bethune, John (1791-1872) 10 https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/bethune_john_1791_1872_10E.html 2023-05-14
February 6 – Charles Richard Ogden, Joint Premier of the Province of Canada (d. 1866)
July 26 – Sir John Robinson, 1st Baronet, of Toronto, lawyer, judge and political figure (d. 1863)
November 28 – John Cook, politician Ontarian (d. 1877)
Deaths
Deaths in 1791
Category:1791 deaths
References
1791 in
Canada
91
Canada
Category:1790s in Canada