Constitutional saga

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Kingdom of France (225 years)

For some 225 years, the populations of Quebec were subjects of the Kings of France.

French company rule (129 years)

In the early days of the French colonization, the French subjects were under the dominion of trade companies in all parts of New France (Canada, Acadia, Louisiana etc.). Until 1663, a succession of different trade companies, the Compagnie de Rouen (1613 to 1620), Compagnie de Montmorency (1621 to 1627), compagnie des Cent-Associés de la Nouvelle-France (1627-1645) and Compagnie des Habitants (1645-1663), were responsible for the administration and development of the Laurentian colony popularly named Canada.

  • 1627 - Edict of the King of France creating the Company of One Hundred Associates (Read full text in French)
  • 1645 - The Company of One Hundred Associates transfers its monopoly over Canada to the Compagnie des Habitants

French Royal province (96 years)

In 1663, New France was turned into a royal province of the Kingdom of France. Examples of other provinces of France were Poitou, Saintonge, Aunis, Picardy etc. New France being an immense territory many times larger than France itself, the province was divided into regions that were largely autonomous from each other. Canada was itself divided into three districts (Québec, Trois-Rivères and Montréal) each having its own government.

The colony of Acadia, ceded to Great Britain with the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, never had a full set of provincial institutions.

The immense colony of Louisiana, founded in 1699, remained under company rule (Compagnie de Crozat, then Compagnie des Indes) until 1732, when the royal government was implanted. By the 1750s, Louisiana had a full set of provincial institution and was largely autonomous from the central goverment of New France located in Canada.

  • 1663 - Edict of the King of France creating of the Superior Council of Quebec (Read full text in French)

Kingdom of Great Britain (171 years)

British military rule (4 years)

  • 1760 - Articles of Capitulation of Montreal. The Canadiens are made British subjects (Read full text)

British royal regime without representation (28 years)

In 1763, French Canada is given the name of Province of Quebec. However, the inhabitants of the country will stubbornly continue to call themselves Canadiens for a very long time...

  • 1763 - Treaty of Paris, (Read full text)
  • 1763 - On October 7, Royal Proclamation (Read full text)
  • 1765 - British merchants established in Quebec petition for a House of commons for protestants alone.
  • 1773 - On October and November, British merchants and a few Canadiens petition for an elective House of commons.
  • 1773 - In December, Canadien landlords petition for the conservation of French civil laws and ask to be granted the rights and the priviledges of British subjects.
  • 1774 - On June 22, The Quebec Act formalizes the status quo (Read full text)
  • 1784 - Pierre du Calvet publishes Appel à la justice de l'État which includes a constitutional project
  • 1784 - A group of 2291 petitioners (1436 Canadiens and 855 British) demand the creation of an elective house of assembly for all without regards to nationality or religion.

British parliamentary regime with powerless elected house (46 years)

  • 1791 - On June 10, The Constitutional Act (Read full text)
  • 1800 to 1822 - Battle for the right to vote the civil list, control of the budget, demands for an elective legislative council and a government responsible to the house of representatives, petitions against the Union project etc.
  • 1822 - British merchants and bureaucrats petition for the Union of Upper and Lower Canada into a single colony before the British Parliament in London.
  • 1823 - On May 10, Louis-Joseph Papineau and John Neilson are sent to London by the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council to bring a petition of 60,000 signatures against the Union project.
  • 1834 - The 92 Resolutions of the Parti patriote are sent to London. (Read full text)
  • 1837 - 10 Russell's Resolutions (Read full text)
  • 1837 - Boycott of all British imports, popular gatherings to protest the despotic rule of London over Lower Canada and Upper Canada, organization of the Fils de la liberté, mendates of arrest on the leaders of the Patriote movement, armed conflicts crushed by the British army.

British military rule & Special council (3 years)

  • 1838 - Declaration of Independence of Lower Canada (Read full text)

British parliamentary regime with powerless elected house & underrepresentation (8 years)

British parliamentary regime with powerful elected house & underrepresentation (19 years)

  • 1848 - A French motion for the restoration of the French language, representation proportional to the population (rep-by-pop), double-majority principle to work around the Union Act's very purpose, Rebellion Losses Bill, Burning of the Parliament.
  • 1864 - Québec Resolutions. Many politicians voice against the confederation and demand for a referendum on the question confident it will be rejected by voters.

British federal dominion rule, provincial autonomy (64 years)

Quebec elects a minority of the members of the federal parliament, however Quebec's Franco-Catholic majority can take control of the Parliament of Quebec if they can only get the Catholic clergy to stop interfering in temporal affairs.

  • 1867 - British North America Act (Read full text)
  • 1867 - In September, Liberal Premier of Nova Scotia elected on an anti-confederation agenda, various demands for the breakup of the confederation, major electoral fraud allows for the election of the pro-confederation party in Quebec.

Beginning of a long saga to reform the constitution of the Dominion of Canada. Quebec demands the respect of its exclusive provincial powers by Ottawa, bilingualism in the other provinces too and a decentralization of federal powers so that Canada be a real binational confederation.

Canadian federation (75 years)

Canadian rule, provincial autonomy weakened (51 years)

  • 1931 - Westminster Statute (Read full text)
  • 1971 - Victoria Charter (Read full text)
  • 1980 - Québec Sovereignty-Association Referendum: 60% of the Quebec electorate rejects the project

Canadian rule, unsigned constitution (25 years)

  • 1982 - Unconstitutional and illegitimate patriation of the BNAA by the federal government
  • 1982 - Constitutional Act (Read full text)
  • 1987 - Meech Lake Accord (Read full text)
  • 1992 - Charlottetown Accord (Read full text)
  • 1992 - Charlottetown Accord Referendum: The Accord is reject by both the Quebec electorate and Canadian electorate
  • 1995 - Québec Sovereignty with Partnership Referendum: 50.6% of the Quebec electorate rejects the project. However, a major case of fraud is revealed.
  • 1998 - Clarity Act (C-20) (Read full text)
  • 1999 - Rights and Prerogatives of the people of Québec (Bill 99) (Read full text)

Summary

From province of France, to province of Great Britain to province of Canada for a total of some 472 years in 2006.

What does Québec want? Independence!!! Sovereignty of the people!!! Home Rule!!! Self-Government!!! Call it want you want!

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