John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham

John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham (also known as Radical Jack) (12 April 1792 – 28 July 1840), was a British Whig statesman and colonial administrator, Governor General and high commissioner of British North America. As Lord Privy Seal in the administration of Lord Grey he helped draft the reform bill of 1832.

Related Topics:
12 April - 1792 - 28 July - 1840 - British - Whig - Governor General - High commissioner - British North America - Lord Privy Seal - Lord Grey - 1832

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He was sent to Quebec in 1838 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Lower Canada Rebellion of Louis-Joseph Papineau and the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837, and his detailed and famous Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839) recommended a modified form of responsible government and a legislative union of Upper Canada, Lower Canada and the Maritime Provinces.

Related Topics:
Quebec - 1838 - Lower Canada Rebellion - Louis-Joseph Papineau - Upper Canada Rebellion - 1837 - Report on the Affairs of British North America - 1839 - Responsible government - Legislative union - Upper Canada, Lower Canada - Maritime Provinces

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He has been lauded in Canadian history for his recommendation of introducing responsible government. This was implemented and by 1847 Canada was a functioning democracy, as it has been ever since. He is less well considered for his idea of merging Upper and Lower Canada into one colony, since this was proposed with the express end of trying encourage the extinction of the French language and culture through intermingling with the more numerous English.

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Indeed the Act of Union based on the report explicitly banned French in the parliament and in the courts.

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In the end, though, his recommendations discouraged assimilation. Once responsible government was achieved, French Canadians in Canada East succeeded by voting as a bloc in ensuring that they were powerfully represented in any cabinet, especially as the politics of Canada West was highly factional. The resulting deadlock between Canada East and West led to a movement for federal rather than unitary government, which resulted in the creation of a federal state of Canada, incorporating New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, in 1867.

Related Topics:
Canada East - Canada West - Canada - New Brunswick - Nova Scotia

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