The rebellion had been preceded by nearly three decades of efforts at political reform in Lower Canada, led from the early 1800s by James Stuart and Louis-Joseph Papineau, who formed the Parti patriote and sought accountability from the elected general assembly and the appointed governor of the colony.
After the Constitutional Act 1791, Lower Canada could elect a House of Assembly, which led to the rise of two parties: the English Party and the Canadian Party.
The English Party was mostly composed of the English merchants and bourgeoisie and had the support of bureaucrats and the old seigneurial families.
The Canadian Party was formed by aristocrats, French or English.
The Catholic Church did not openly participate for any political party but tended to support the English party.
 With the power in the hand of the population, the French-Canadian business class needed support from the population more than from the British business class.
The population being mostly French-Canadian in Lower Canada, most of those elected at the House of Assembly were French-speaking and supported the French-Canadian business class.
The House of Assembly gave an illusion of power to French-Canadians, but the Executive and Legislative Councils advised the governor, who could veto any legislation.
Both councils were made of people chosen by the English party.
The appointed legislative council was dominated by a small group of businessmen known as the Château Clique, the equivalent of the Family Compact in Upper Canada.

In the early 19th century was a drastic change in the economy of Lower Canada.
The lumber started to be more important than the fur trade or agriculture, which caused fear for those working in the fields.
Activists in Lower Canada began to work for reform in a period of economic disfranchisement of the French-speaking majority and working-class English-speaking citizens.
The rebellion opposed the injustice of colonial governing as such in which the governor and the upper house of the legislature were appointed by the Crown.
Many of its leaders and participants were English-speaking citizens of Lower Canada.
French-speakers felt that English-speakers were disproportionately represented in the lucrative fields of banking, the timber trade, and transportation.

In 1807-12, Sir James Henry Craig was governor.
He encountered multiple crises.
He called elections three times in 16 months because he was not satisfied with the people elected even they were the same each time.
Craig thought that the Canadian Party and its supporters wanted a French-Canadian republic.
He also feared that if the United States tried to invade Lower Canada, the Canadian Party would collaborate.
In 1810, Craig imprisoned journalists working for the newspaper Le Canadien.
Pierre-Stanislas Bédard, the leader of the Canadian Party and editor of the newspaper, was put in jail.
That created a crisis in the party about who would be in the leadership.

During the War of 1812 many rumours circulated in the colony of a possible invasion.
The French-Canadians were dependent on the protection of Britain, which created a certain unity in the colony during wartime.

At the same time, some among the English-speaking business elite advocated a union of Upper and Lower Canada to ensure competitiveness on a national scale with the increasingly-large and powerful economy of the United States (some rebels had been inspired by the success of the American War of Independence).
Unification of the colony was favoured by the British-appointed governor, George Ramsey, Earl of Dalhousie.
In Lower Canada, the growing sense of nationalism among English- and the French-speaking citizens was organized into the Parti canadien, which, after 1826, was called the parti patriote.

In 1811, James Stuart became leader of the Parti canadien in the assembly, and in 1815, reformer Louis-Joseph Papineau was elected as its speaker in Lower Canada.
The elected assembly had little power since its decisions could be vetoed by both the legislative council and the governor, all of whom were appointed by the Bri
The rebellion had been preceded by nearly three decades of efforts at political reform in Lower Canada, led from the early 1800s by James Stuart and Louis-Joseph Papineau, who formed the Parti patriote and sought accountability from the elected general assembly and the appointed governor of the colony. After the Constitutional Act 1791, Lower Canada could elect a House of Assembly, which led to the rise of two parties: the English Party and the Canadian Party. The English Party was mostly composed of the English merchants and bourgeoisie and had the support of bureaucrats and the old seigneurial families. The Canadian Party was formed by aristocrats, French or English. The Catholic Church did not openly participate for any political party but tended to support the English party.  With the power in the hand of the population, the French-Canadian business class needed support from the population more than from the British business class. The population being mostly French-Canadian in Lower Canada, most of those elected at the House of Assembly were French-speaking and supported the French-Canadian business class. The House of Assembly gave an illusion of power to French-Canadians, but the Executive and Legislative Councils advised the governor, who could veto any legislation. Both councils were made of people chosen by the English party. The appointed legislative council was dominated by a small group of businessmen known as the Château Clique, the equivalent of the Family Compact in Upper Canada.
In the early 19th century was a drastic change in the economy of Lower Canada. The lumber started to be more important than the fur trade or agriculture, which caused fear for those working in the fields. Activists in Lower Canada began to work for reform in a period of economic disfranchisement of the French-speaking majority and working-class English-speaking citizens. The rebellion opposed the injustice of colonial governing as such in which the governor and the upper house of the legislature were appointed by the Crown. Many of its leaders and participants were English-speaking citizens of Lower Canada. French-speakers felt that English-speakers were disproportionately represented in the lucrative fields of banking, the timber trade, and transportation.
In 1807-12, Sir James Henry Craig was governor. He encountered multiple crises. He called elections three times in 16 months because he was not satisfied with the people elected even they were the same each time. Craig thought that the Canadian Party and its supporters wanted a French-Canadian republic. He also feared that if the United States tried to invade Lower Canada, the Canadian Party would collaborate. In 1810, Craig imprisoned journalists working for the newspaper Le Canadien. Pierre-Stanislas Bédard, the leader of the Canadian Party and editor of the newspaper, was put in jail. That created a crisis in the party about who would be in the leadership.
During the War of 1812 many rumours circulated in the colony of a possible invasion. The French-Canadians were dependent on the protection of Britain, which created a certain unity in the colony during wartime.
At the same time, some among the English-speaking business elite advocated a union of Upper and Lower Canada to ensure competitiveness on a national scale with the increasingly-large and powerful economy of the United States (some rebels had been inspired by the success of the American War of Independence). Unification of the colony was favoured by the British-appointed governor, George Ramsey, Earl of Dalhousie. In Lower Canada, the growing sense of nationalism among English- and the French-speaking citizens was organized into the Parti canadien, which, after 1826, was called the parti patriote.
In 1811, James Stuart became leader of the Parti canadien in the assembly, and in 1815, reformer Louis-Joseph Papineau was elected as its speaker in Lower Canada. The elected assembly had little power since its decisions could be vetoed by both the legislative council and the governor, all of whom were appointed by the Bri
Lower Canada Rebellion