Reform movement (Upper Canada)

The Reform movement in Upper Canada was a political movement in the early 19th century that advocated for responsible government, greater democracy, and social and economic reforms. It challenged the power of the Family Compact, an elite group of individuals who controlled much of the political and economic life of the colony.

Key issues for the Reformers included:

• Responsible Government: The central demand was for a government accountable to the elected Legislative Assembly, rather than the appointed Lieutenant Governor and Executive Council. Reformers believed that the Executive Council should be chosen from and responsible to the majority party in the Assembly.
• Land Reform: Reformers sought to address inequities in land distribution, particularly the Clergy Reserves (lands set aside for the Anglican Church) and the Crown Reserves (lands reserved for the Crown). They argued that these reserves hindered development and favored the elite.
• Elected Legislative Council: The Reform movement advocated for replacing the appointed Legislative Council with an elected body, making the upper house more representative of the population.
• Greater Democracy: Reformers sought to expand the franchise (voting rights) to more people and reduce the influence of patronage and corruption in government.

The Reform movement was not a unified entity. It included individuals with varying degrees of radicalism and different priorities. Some Reformers, like William Lyon Mackenzie, advocated for more radical changes and were involved in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. Others, like Robert Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine (in Lower Canada), favored a more moderate approach and ultimately achieved responsible government through political negotiation and collaboration after the rebellions.

The Upper Canada Rebellion, though ultimately unsuccessful, exposed the deep-seated grievances of many colonists and contributed to the British government's decision to send Lord Durham to investigate the situation. The Durham Report, while controversial, recommended responsible government, which was gradually implemented in the following decades.

The Reform movement ultimately played a crucial role in the evolution of Upper Canada into a more democratic and self-governing colony, laying the groundwork for the development of modern Canadian parliamentary democracy.