Grade by Grade
A. Heritage and Identity · Communities in Canada, 1780–1850

Travelling Back in Time: Canada from 1780 to 1850

A2.1 A2.3 A2.4 A2.6About 35 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can say when 1780 to 1850 was and put events from that time on a timeline.
  • I can find Upper Canada and Lower Canada on a map.
  • I can name some of the peoples who lived in Canada at that time.
  • I can tell a primary source from a secondary source.
  • I can ask good questions to learn about the past.

Words to know

history
The true story of what happened in the past, and how we know about it.
colony
A place that is ruled by a faraway country. Upper and Lower Canada were British colonies.
Upper Canada
A British colony from 1791 to 1841. It was in what is now southern Ontario.
Lower Canada
A British colony from 1791 to 1841. It was in what is now southern Quebec.
settler
A person who comes from somewhere else to live, farm and build a home on land that is new to them.
timeline
A line that shows events in the order they happened.
primary source
Something made by a person who was there at the time, like a diary, a letter, a painting, a map, an object or a wampum belt.
secondary source
Something made later by someone who was not there, like a history book written today.

Remember from Grade 2

In Grade 2 you learned that traditions change over time, and you were a tradition detective. You used primary sources like old photos and objects to find out about the past.

This year you will be a history detective. You will travel back about 200 years to find out how people lived in Canada between 1780 and 1850.

Imagine it is the year 1800

There are no cars, no phones, no electric lights and no grocery stores. To get from one town to another, people paddle a canoe, sail a boat, ride a horse or walk. In winter they use snowshoes and sleighs.

Who lived here then?

  • First Nations peoples had lived on this land for thousands of years. Each nation had its own language, laws, territory and way of life.
  • Métis people, a nation with First Nations and European roots, lived near the Great Lakes and farther west.
  • Inuit lived far to the north, in the Arctic.
  • French settlers had lived along the St. Lawrence River since the 1600s.
  • New settlers arrived: Loyalists, Black Loyalists, freedom seekers, and families from England, Scotland and Ireland.

In this unit you will learn about all of these communities: how they lived, how they got along, and how life changed.

An old wooden horse-drawn sleigh sits in the snow beside a split-rail fence and a log house at a heritage village.
Before cars, people travelled over snow in sleighs like this one. This log house and sleigh are kept at a heritage village today. AI-generated image

Upper Canada and Lower Canada

At this time, the land along the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes was ruled by Britain. In 1791, Britain split the land into two colonies:

  • Upper Canada: what is now southern Ontario. Most settlers there spoke English.
  • Lower Canada: what is now southern Quebec. Most settlers there spoke French.

Why "upper" and "lower"? It has to do with the river! Upper Canada was farther up the St. Lawrence River (upstream, toward the Great Lakes). Lower Canada was farther down the river, toward the ocean.

In 1841, the two colonies were joined into one, called the Province of Canada.

UPPER CANADALOWER CANADAYorkQuebecMontreal
A simple map (not to scale). The blue shapes are the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean. The dashed line, mostly along the Ottawa River, was the border between Upper Canada and Lower Canada. York is now called Toronto.

Remember: this land was already home to many nations

Britain called these lands its colonies, but First Nations had lived here for thousands of years. Their communities, laws and territories were already here. In this unit we will ask: whose land was it, and how did that change?

Reading a timeline

A timeline shows events in the order they happened. Earlier events are on the left. Later events are on the right.

1784Loyalistsarrive1791Upper and LowerCanada created1812War of 1812begins1834Slavery ends inthe British Empire1850RobinsonTreaties
A timeline of some important events from 1780 to 1850. Earlier events are on the left.
YearWhat happened
1783 to 1784The American Revolution ends. Thousands of Loyalists (people who stayed loyal to Britain) move north, including Black Loyalists and Haudenosaunee allies of Britain.
1791Britain creates Upper Canada and Lower Canada.
1793Upper Canada passes a law to limit slavery.
1812 to 1815The War of 1812: Britain and the United States fight. First Nations warriors, Black soldiers and settlers fight to defend Upper Canada.
1834Slavery ends across the British Empire, including Upper and Lower Canada (August 1, now called Emancipation Day).
1841Upper and Lower Canada are joined into the Province of Canada.
1850The Robinson Treaties are made with Anishinaabe nations around Lake Huron and Lake Superior.
Some important events. You will learn more about each one later in this unit.

How do we know about the past?

Nobody alive today was there in 1800! So history detectives look at sources.

  • A primary source was made at the time by someone who was there: a diary, a letter, a painting, an old map, a tool, a wampum belt.
  • A secondary source was made later by someone who studied the past: a history book, a website, a museum sign, a video made today.
  • Oral history is knowledge passed down by speaking, from Elders to young people, over many generations. First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities keep much of their history this way. It is an important source too.
SourcePrimary or secondary?Why
A diary written in 1793 by Elizabeth Simcoe, who lived in Upper CanadaPrimaryShe wrote it at the time, about what she saw.
A wampum belt made to record an agreementPrimaryIt was made at the time of the agreement.
A map drawn in 1800PrimaryIt was made at the time.
A picture book about Upper Canada written last yearSecondaryThe author was not there. They learned from other sources.
A museum sign at a pioneer villageSecondaryIt was written much later to explain the past.
Sorting sources. Ask: "Was the maker there at the time?"

History detective questions

Good questions help you investigate. Use question words:

  • Who lived here in 1800?
  • What did children do every day?
  • Where did people build their homes, and why there?
  • How did people stay warm in winter?
  • How did life change for First Nations when settlers came?

A good question can't be answered with just "yes" or "no". It makes you find out something.

Worked example

Let's read the timeline together

Use the timeline and the table. Which came first: the War of 1812, or the creation of Upper and Lower Canada? How many years apart were they?

  1. Find both events. Upper and Lower Canada were created in 1791. The War of 1812 began in 1812.
  2. 1791 is a smaller number, and it is farther left on the timeline. So it came first.
  3. To find how many years apart: count up from 1791 to 1812. 1791 + 9 = 1800, then 1800 + 12 = 1812. 9 + 12 = 21.

Upper and Lower Canada were created first, in 1791. The War of 1812 began 21 years later.

Worked example

Let's make a question better

Maya wants to learn about settlers. Her first question is: "Did settlers have houses?" How can she make it a better history detective question?

  1. "Did settlers have houses?" can be answered with just yes. That doesn't teach her much.
  2. Use a how or why question word instead.
  3. New question: "How did settlers build their first homes, and what were they made of?"
  4. Now she has to find out something, using sources like old drawings, diaries and a pioneer village.

Better question: "How did settlers build their first homes, and what were they made of?"

Just for fun

Fun fact: There were no zippers in 1800! Zippers were not invented until the 1890s, almost 100 years later. Imagine doing up your winter coat with only buttons and laces... while wearing mittens!

Hands-on activity

Make a 1780 to 1850 timeline

You need: a long strip of paper (tape a few pieces together), a ruler, a pencil and crayons.

  1. Draw a long line across the strip. Write 1780 at the left end and 1850 at the right end.
  2. Make 8 marks that are the same distance apart, for 1780, 1790, 1800, 1810, 1820, 1830, 1840 and 1850. (A ruler helps: try 4 cm apart.)
  3. Add the events from the table above in the right places. Draw a small picture for each one.
  4. Keep your timeline! Add new events as you learn them in this unit.

Talk about it: "About how many years ago was 1800?" (2026 − 1800 = 226 years.)

Your turn

1

What years does this unit study?

2

In 1791, Britain split its colony into two parts. What were they called?

3

Upper Canada was in the southern part of which province today?

4

Most settlers in Lower Canada spoke which language?

5

Primary or secondary: a letter written by a settler in 1820?

6

Primary or secondary: a history website made in 2025?

7

Who lived on this land for thousands of years before settlers came?

8

Write one history detective question you would like to answer in this unit.

More practice: warm-up

1

On a timeline, are earlier events on the left or the right?

2

What is the name of the big river that flows from Lake Ontario to the Atlantic Ocean?

3

York was a town in Upper Canada. What is it called today?

4

Name one way people travelled in 1800.

5

What is a diary?

More practice: on your own

1

How many years is it from 1780 to 1850?

2

In 1841, what happened to Upper and Lower Canada?

3

Why was it called Upper Canada if it is not on top of the map?

4

Why is oral history an important source for learning about First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities?

5

Put these in order, earliest first: Province of Canada created (1841), Loyalists arrive (1784), War of 1812 begins (1812).

Challenge

1

Elizabeth Simcoe's diary tells us what she saw and thought. Whose stories might be missing from her diary?

2

A map drawn by a British mapmaker in 1800 shows settlers' farms but no First Nations communities. Does that mean no First Nations lived there? Explain.

3

Slavery ended in the British Empire in 1834. The Robinson Treaties were made in 1850. How many years apart were these events?

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

What part of Canada today was Upper Canada?

2.

Which is a primary source?

3.

Who lived on this land for thousands of years before settlers came?

4.

On a timeline, which event comes first?

5.

Which is the best history detective question?

6.

In 1841, Upper and Lower Canada became...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: This unit looks at communities in what is now Canada between 1780 and 1850: First Nations, Métis and Inuit, and the many settler groups (French, Loyalist, Black Loyalist, freedom seekers, British immigrants). This first lesson builds the tools: timelines, a basic map of Upper and Lower Canada, and the difference between primary and secondary sources.

How to help at home:

  • Keep the paper timeline on the wall and add to it with every lesson.
  • Ask "How do we know?" when your child states a fact about the past. Encourage them to name a source.
  • Use "maker there at the time?" as the test for a primary source.

Common difficulties:

  • Upper/Lower confusion: children expect "upper" to mean north. Trace the St. Lawrence with a finger from the ocean "up" to the lakes.
  • Year arithmetic: counting up to the next hundred (1791 → 1800 → 1812) is easier than subtracting.
  • "The land was empty": gently correct this whenever it comes up. First Nations nations lived here and had their own territories and laws long before 1780.

Oral histories shared by First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities are valid historical sources; treat them with the same respect as written ones.