The elected Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada approved the Ninety-Two Resolutions, a long list of grievances and reform demands. The resolutions called for changes such as more democratic control over the colony’s government and finances. The British government’s refusal to accept these demands helped set the stage for growing confrontation in the 1830s.
In London, the British government answered the Ninety-Two Resolutions with the Russell Resolutions, rejecting the main reform requests. Many reformers in Lower Canada saw this as proof that constitutional petitions were not working. Protest meetings expanded and political tensions rose sharply in 1837.
Thousands gathered at the Assembly of the Six Counties in Saint-Charles to protest British decisions and show support for the Patriote movement. The meeting reflected how far resistance had spread beyond Montreal into surrounding rural counties. It also signaled that some leaders and supporters were preparing for the possibility of armed conflict.
At Saint-Denis, Patriote forces successfully resisted a government column, making it the best-known rebel victory of the 1837 fighting in Lower Canada. The result briefly boosted morale and encouraged hopes that armed resistance might succeed. The victory also prompted stronger government military action in the days that followed.
Two days after Saint-Denis, government forces defeated Patriote fighters at the Battle of Saint-Charles. The defeat weakened rebel organization in the Richelieu Valley and increased arrests and flight of leaders. It also showed the advantage of trained troops and artillery against poorly armed volunteer forces.
In Upper Canada, William Lyon Mackenzie’s supporters were defeated at Montgomery’s Tavern near Toronto. The government victory quickly broke the main rebel force and pushed leaders and supporters toward flight or arrest. This failure shaped the rebellion’s next stage, which relied more on cross-border organizing and raids.
Government forces attacked the main remaining Patriote stronghold at Saint-Eustache and won a decisive victory. The battle effectively ended the first phase of the Lower Canada rebellion in 1837, with many rebels killed, captured, or forced to flee. Afterward, repression and punishment increased, and surviving leaders operated from exile.
From exile in the United States, Robert Nelson issued a Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada, calling for a republican government and equal civil rights. The declaration reflected how some leaders shifted from reform within the empire to open rejection of British rule. It also helped justify renewed armed attempts later in 1838.
In November 1838, a second uprising broke out in parts of Lower Canada, including actions around Beauharnois. Loyalist and government forces suppressed the movement, capturing many participants. The rapid defeat showed that renewed rebellion still lacked the broad support and coordination needed to hold territory.
At Windmill Point near Prescott, loyalist forces—supported by U.S. and naval forces—defeated an invasion linked to U.S.-based secret societies (often called Hunters’ Lodges). This battle became a key turning point in stopping cross-border attempts to restart rebellion in Upper Canada. Large numbers of invaders were killed or captured, further weakening the movement.
In early December 1838, another cross-border force attacked near Windsor, but was defeated by Canadian militia and U.S. forces. The battle marked the collapse of the last significant 1838 attempt to reignite armed rebellion in Upper Canada. After this, the rebellion shifted mainly to trials, punishments, and political aftermath rather than open fighting.
After being sent to investigate the unrest, Lord Durham submitted the Report on the Affairs of British North America to the British Parliament. The report analyzed causes of the rebellions and recommended structural changes, including uniting the Canadas and changing how colonial government worked. It became a key policy bridge between the failed uprisings and later constitutional reforms.
The British Parliament passed the Act of Union 1840, merging Upper and Lower Canada into the new Province of Canada. This change was a direct institutional outcome of the rebellions and the policy debates that followed them. The union reshaped politics in British North America and set conditions for later demands for responsible government.
Rebellions of 1837–1838 in Upper and Lower Canada