Evolution
of the Territory of Quebec: 1763-1927
Claude
Bélanger,
Department of History,
Marianopolis College
| 1763 |
Following the Treaty of Paris (1763), the Royal Proclamation was issued. In it, the province was renamed Province of Québec
and its territory was defined as a thin band extending from approximately the
Ottawa River along both shores of the St. Lawrence to about Anticosti Island.
On the North Shore the limit passed just north of Lac St. Jean. See
the accompanying map. |
| 1774 |
In
an effort to solidify the loyalty of the Canadiens, and hoping that concessions
would bring them to help England against the impending American Revolution,
Britain issued the Quebec Act. The Act extended the frontiers of Quebec
from the Labrador Coast along a line significantly north of Lac St. Jean and extending
westward to a point beyond Lake Superior; southward, the border ran along the
Mississippi/Missouri and Ohio rivers, thus adding all of the Ohio Valley to Quebec.
Thus, the entire St. Lawrence/Great Lakes system, and all of the land surrounding
it, were now included in Quebec. As much as possible, England had wished
to reconstitute the territory of New France under a single political unit
and, by extending the borders westward, invigorate the economy of Quebec by giving
its inhabitants access to the avenues of penetration of the continent and, thus,
to the fur trade. Both Americans and several Native groups were unhappy with this
decision. See
the accompanying map. |
| 1783 |
At
the Treaty of Paris of 1783 (This treaty settled the issue of the American Revolution;
in it England recognized the independence of the United States. Given that North
America was now to be divided in some fashion between England and the USA, the
borders had to be fixed between the two) the Province of Quebec lost all of the
lands below the Great Lakes (the Ohio Valley). Quebec retained only the land North
of the Great Lakes. The territory of Quebec was thus approximately that of Southern
Quebec and Southern Ontario as we know them today. |
| 1791 | In
the Constitutional Act (also called Canada Act), the territory of the Province
of Quebec
was divided into two. The frontier between Upper Canada (southern
Ontario of today) and Lower Canada (southern Quebec of today)was established along
the Ottawa River. Thus, of the large territory granted to Quebec in the Quebec
Act of 1774, only the southern portion of today’s Quebec remained by 1791. See
the accompanying map. | | 1809 | Anticosti
Island and the area of Labrador are transferred from Lower Canada (Quebec) to
the administration of Newfoundland. | | 1825 | Anticosti
Island and Labrador (except for the coast of Labrador that was to remain in the
hands of Newfoundland) are transferred to Lower Canada (Quebec). |
| 1840-1 | As
suggested by Lord Durham in his famous report, Upper and Lower Canada are merged
into one province, with one government, under the name of United Province of Canada. For the first time since the Conquest, there is not an identifiable government
just for Quebec and its population. See
the accompanying map. | | 1867 | The
Constitutional Act of 1867 (British North America Act) creates a new Province
of Quebec with a government of its own and under local control. The territory
is basically that of southern Quebec of today. This creation of a Province of
Quebec, controlled by ‘the Québécois’ went a long way to make them accept
the new Constitution and the new country of Canada. | | 1898 | A
portion of the land purchased by Canada from the Hudson Bay Company in 1868-1869
is given to Quebec by the federal government. As the accompanying map shows, the
northern frontier of Quebec passes north of lake Mistassini in Quebec and reaches
the mid-point approximately of James Bay. | | 1912 | A
further grant of land in the North by the federal government extends the Northern
limits of Quebec all the way to Ungava Bay (its present day frontier). See
accompanying map. | | 1927 | A
decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council very unfavourable to Quebec
makes the Coast of Labrador, held by Newfoundland since 1809, mean a territory
as deep
into the interior of Quebec as 370 miles. This judicial decision
has never been recognized by Governments of Quebec and has led to a good deal
of friction between the two provinces. |
©
1998 Claude Bélanger, Marianopolis College
Maps are from l’Annuaire
du Québec, 1972
|
