C. Rebellion Events in Upper Canada

From HCO Jr

5. Conflict & Change: The Rebellion Years → A. Background of Discontent → B. Lower Canada Rebellion → C. Upper Canada Rebellion → D. Invasion & Aftermath → E. Road to Responsible Government

Reformers in Upper Canada faced many of the same problems that the Parti Patriote faced in Lower Canada. Reformers won majorities in the Legislative Assembly in three elections: 1824, 1828, and 1834. However, each time they won they faced opposition from the Legislative Council, Executive Council and the Lieutenant-Governor. In 1836 Upper Canada's new lieutenant-governor, Sir Francis Bond Head, openly campaigned against the Reformers. The Reformers suffered their worst defeat in that election.

Radical Reformers such as William Lyon Mackenzie were convinced that the government of Upper Canada would never change until violence was used. Moderate Reformers, such as Robert Baldwin, continued to disagree with Mackenzie. Eventually Mackenzie and the radicals turned to violence. However, their attempt to start a rebellion quickly failed.

What finally pushed the Reformers to violence? Why did they lose the rebellion? What happened to the radicals after the Rebellion of Upper Canada? This chapter will answer these questions.

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Mackenzie's Plan

William Lyon Mackenzie

On June 19 William Lyon Mackenzie and his supporters formed a secret revolutionary group: The Committee of Vigilance of Upper Canada. This Committee would form the government of Upper Canada after a successful revolution. Mackenzie wanted to quickly overthrow the government of Upper Canada with a quick attack on York (Toronto). Once the Committee took control of York, it would ask the United States for help. Mackenzie hoped that the United States would quickly allow Upper Canada to join, and then protect it from Britain.

Mackenzie did not think it would be difficult to conquer York. Dr. John Rolph, another radical, had told Mackenzie that York had very few British troops in it. A small force of rebels would be able to conquer the settlement, and take over the government. Once the rebels occupied Fort York they could withstand an attack for a few weeks while they waited for US troops to arrive and help them.

John Rolph

Mackenzie and Rolph made a lot of assumptions in their plan. First, they assumed that the United States would agree to help them. Second, they hoped that there would not be many troops in York when they started the rebellion. Last, they believed that other settlers in Upper Canada would rise up and support them.

Mackenzie decided that his men would start the rebellion on December 7, 1837. On November 22, Mackenzie published a call for rebellion against the government of Upper Canada in his newspaper, The Constitution. Mackenzie hoped this would rouse the population to support him when the rebellion started.

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The Rebellion Starts

Dr. John Rolph was a member of the Upper Canadian government, and secretly a rebel leader as well. He knew that York was not well protected by British soldiers. It might be easy for the rebels to capture York. Mackenzie set the date of the rebellion for December 7, 1837. On December 3, 150 rebels met at Montgomery's Tavern on Yonge Street.

Local people began to wonder why so many people were gathered at the Tavern. Some local people began to spy on the people at the tavern. These spies warned the Lieutenant-Governor Bond Head of what was happening.

Bond-Head reacted quickly. He gathered together 300 British troops. This was not a large force. Most of the British soldiers were in Lower Canada. Mackenzie also acted quickly. When he learned that spies were watching the tavern he moved the date of the attack to December 5.

Rebels Drilling in York County

Mackzenzie gathered his men, and they marched south down Yonge Street. Lieutenant-Governor Bond Head sent men to negotiate with the rebels, but to no avail. Mackenzie refused to stop the attack. By 6:00 PM that evening, Mackenzie's force had grown to 700 men. They did not have very good weapons. A few had rifles and muskets, but most were armed with pitchforks and pikes (long poles with a spear head and axe head at the end).

Mackenzie's men were not well trained. Few of the rebel leaders had military experience. Few of the men who wanted to fight had been in a war. They did not know how to fight together as a group. Very few of the men knew what it was like to be shot at, and to face the possibility of being killed. In comparison, the 300 British soldiers that Bond Head had were well trained and well equipped.

Sheriff Samuel Jarvis

The rebels marched south to face the British troops. They walked to a location close to where the College Street intersects Yonge Street today. Samuel Jarvis, the Sheriff of York, hid in a vegetable garden with 27 soldies waiting for the rebels. When the rebel force approached, Jarvis and his men opened fire. The front line of rebel soldiers fired back, then they dropped to the ground to reload their muskets. When the men behind the front line the men behind them thought the front line had been killed. They did not understand that the front line was supposed to drop to the ground after firing their muskets. All of the rebels turned and ran back to Montgomery's Tavern.

James Fitzgibbon

James Fitzgibbon, a War of 1812 veteran, took control of the situation. Men were coming to York to protect it from the rebels. Soon Fitzgibbon had a force of 1000 men. He led them against the rebels on December 7. Some of the rebels at Montgomery's Tavern tried to escape when they saw Fitzgibbon advancing on them.

A short battle started at the tavern. It only lasted thirty minutes. There were only 500 poorly trained rebels in the tavern. They had little hope of defeating Fitzgibbon's group of 1000 men. Fitzgibbon also had cannons. The rebels fled the building, or were captured. Fitzgibbon ordered his men to burn the tavern to the ground. Before the tavern was burned someone took the rebel banner with them. The banner still exists today. It is preserved at the Archives of Ontario.

Banner Taken from Montgomery's Tavern, with Powder Burns still Visible (Ontario Archives)

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Bond Head's Proclamation

Counter Attack

The rebellion in Upper Canada had failed. Mackenzie and other rebel leaders fled and went into hiding. They wanted to cross the border into the United States where they would be safe. Thousands of Upper Canadian settlers looked throughout the colony for them. The government issued a proclamation. It stated that the government would pay 1000 pounds for anyone who caught William Lyon Mackenzie and gave him to the authorities. This was an incredible amount of money at that time. The Tories attempted to solidify their hold. More than 10 000 volunteers were beginning to make their way to the Toronto area in response to the alarm. Combining with the militia, they fanned out across a wider area looking for fugitives. Bond Head issued the following proclamation on that day:

Meanwhile Upper Canada Militia Col. Allan MacNab and 60 soldiers arrived from Hamilton on a steamer to help Governor Francis Bond Head deal with the rebels; Captain Maclean also arrived from Scarborough with 100 militiamen. On Dec 06 Mackenzie and Samuel Lount held up a stage coach 6 km west of Toronto; they seize money and letters from Bond Head about the planned defenses of Toronto. But it was too late, and William Lyon Mackenzie made plans to flee to the United States.

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Duncombe's Rebellion

Charles Duncombe

There was one other small rebellion in support of Mackenzie. It was called Duncombe's Rebellion. It was led by Dr. Charles Duncombe. Duncombe was a supporter of the radical Reformers. Duncombe heard of Mackenzie's rebellion in York. However, Duncombe heard that Mackenzie had been victorious. Believing that the rebellion was succeeding, Duncombe led several hundred men on a march towards Toronto.

By December 13 Duncombe and his men were at Brantford. It was only then that he learned of Mackenzie's defeat. Duncombe also learned that Sir Alan McNab, a government supporter, was leading a force of 300 men towards Brantford. Duncombe worked to gather additional supporters. By the time McNab arrived at Brantford he had 2000 men. Duncombe, realizing he could not win, fled the area. Over the next few days, 500 rebels were captured by the government. Some of the rebel leaders were captured as well. They were sentenced to death.

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The Burning of the Caroline

Mackenzie's Rebel Flag (reputed)

Mackenzie was not captured by the British. He made it to Buffalo, New York. Eventually he and 200 supporters moved to Navy Island in the Niagara River. From here they began to plan an invasion of Upper Canada. He even set up his own government on the island. Mackenzie called it the Republic of Canada.

Andrew Drew

Mackenzie hoped that he would receive support from Americans. However, the British were not going to allow this to happen. Alan McNab commanded a force of 2500 men on the British side of the Niagara River. Each day they could watch Mackenzie's men on the island. However, McNab could not attack because the island was on the American side of the border.

Then on the night of December 29th, Royal Navy Lieutenant Andrew Drew, acting without orders, rowed over the river to Navy Island. He attacked an American steam ship docked at the island, and destroyed it. This steam ship, called The Caroline, was being used by the rebels to get supplies to the island.

The Burning of the Caroline

The Aftermath

On January 13, 1838 Mackenzie abandoned Navy Island. He realized his hope of invading Upper Canada would never come true. Mackenzie lived in the United States until 1849. He could not return to Upper Canada because he would be arrested, put on trial, and likely executed. However, in 1849 the British government gave Mackenzie amnesty: he was forgiven for what he had done. Mackenzie returned to Upper Canada. In 1851 he was elected to the new, combined legislture of Canada Many years into the future his grandson, William Lyon Mackenzie King, became prime minister of Canada.

In many ways the rebellion in Upper Canada was a failure. It did not come close to defeating the British in Upper Canada. Most of the population did not support the rebels. However, they were a political success. A few years later both Upper and Lower Canada (as the combined Province of Canada) achieved responsible government. How this happened is outlined in the next chapter.