The Quebec Act of 1774 restored some inequities created by the Treaty of Paris, but angered American colonists by tripling the area of Quebec and removing the requirement that government officials must renounce Catholicism. It was eventually replaced by the Constitutional Act in 1791. The Act had long-term effects on the United States, including a strong Catholic presence in the Ohio River Valley and the need for provisions in the US constitution that did not discriminate on the basis of religion.
The Quebec Act of 1774 is viewed from a number of different perspectives. To American colonists who were beginning to rave about the Revolution, this Act was part of a series of laws passed by England that were called the Intolerable Acts and which eventually led to some of the colonists’ first revolutionary acts. In England and parts of Canada, the law was viewed more favorably at the time, as it restored some inequities created by the 1763 Treaty of Paris, resulting from the Franco-British Seven Years’ War.
In the treaty, French colonists who wanted to remain in Canada (now called Quebec by the British), were required to swear allegiance to the British crown and, to serve in any political capacity, were required to renounce Catholicism. This greatly concerned the many French colonists who were predominantly Catholic, leading to an imbalance of power in most government positions. England clearly recognized the danger of holding this position as the colonists demanded more rights and there was an imminent fear that former French citizens of Quebec would join the revolutionary efforts without more rights.
So in 1774, the Quebec Act changed some aspects of how Quebec would be governed and, more importantly, removed the requirement that government officials must renounce Catholicism. Another provision of this law really angered some of the members of the original 13 colonies, as it tripled the area of Quebec, so that it now included much of the Ohio River Valley, an area that had been regarded by the colonists as their own. right. Quebec now included what would later be parts of the states of Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Other aspects of the Quebec Act were equally “intolerable” to those seeking more representative government. Government was by appointment, and the law made no provision for establishing an elected body of legislators. He also restored the way land had been distributed under French rule. Primarily, these provisions appealed better to the wealthier members of Canadian society, but there were also many citizens of Quebec (later Canada) who were likely to have joined American revolutionary efforts without the Act’s passage. On the other hand, the way Quebec would be governed frightened American colonists because it appeared to be a setback in government without representation, and many believed it would become a model for government throughout the colonies.
The Quebec Act can be described as short-lived, and Britain eventually replaced it in 1791 with the Constitutional Act or Canada Act. By this time, the area considered Canada had been reduced due to American success in the Revolutionary War. Much of the territory formerly considered part of Quebec was now part of the United States. There have been some interesting long-term effects of the law in the United States.
For example, in the Ohio River Valley and parts of the states formerly considered part of Quebec, there was a strong Catholic presence, which continues today. It was necessary for the United States to adopt provisions in its constitution that did not discriminate on the basis of religion, just as the Quebec Act had attempted to do. Nondiscrimination against Catholics was still a relatively new concept in North America, but areas of the country in which Catholics could live peacefully were certainly attractive to Catholic settlers.
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