UPPER CANADA Meaning and
Definition
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Upper Canada refers to a historical region in early Canada that existed from 1791 to 1841. It was one of the two administrative regions established by the Constitutional Act of 1791, the other being Lower Canada (present-day Quebec). Upper Canada received its name due to its geographic location along the upper reaches of the St. Lawrence River.
This region encompassed the southern part of present-day Ontario, Canada. It extended from the Quebec border in the east to the territories surrounding Lake Superior in the west. Upper Canada was primarily settled by English-speaking colonists, many of whom were originally from the Thirteen Colonies of America.
Upper Canada developed its own governmental and legal institutions, separate from those of Lower Canada. The capital of Upper Canada was initially Niagara-on-the-Lake but was later moved to York, which is known today as Toronto. The region experienced steady population growth with the arrival of immigrants, predominantly from the British Isles.
The economy of Upper Canada relied heavily on agriculture, particularly the production of wheat. The government aimed to attract settlers by granting them land, leading to increased agricultural development. Upper Canada also had a significant Aboriginal population, with whom conflicts occasionally arose as European settlers encroached on Indigenous territories.
In 1841, the Act of Union merged Upper Canada with Lower Canada into the Province of Canada, which later became the Dominion of Canada in 1867. The term "Upper Canada" is now primarily used in historical contexts to refer to the region prior to its union with Lower Canada.
Etymology of UPPER CANADA
The term "Upper Canada" refers to a historical region in present-day Ontario, Canada. The etymology of the term can be traced back to the division of the Province of Quebec into two separate colonies in 1791. The newly created provinces were named Upper Canada and Lower Canada, with Upper Canada being the northern section located upstream on the Saint Lawrence River, while Lower Canada was situated downstream.
The term "upper" in Upper Canada is used in the geographical sense, indicating a higher or more northerly location. It is derived from the fact that the Upper Canada region was located "up" or "above" the Lower Canada region when considering the flow of the Saint Lawrence River. Similarly, Lower Canada acquired its name due to its southern or downstream position on the river.
