What were the terms of the Constitutional Act of 1791?

In order to accommodate the American Loyalists, Great Britain replaced the Quebec Act with
the Constitutional Act.
  • maintained French civil laws in Lower Canada however both provinces were governed by the English criminal code.
  • The Act also guaranteed the French people their rights to the Roman Catholic Church.
Try the following questions on the Constitutional Act of 1791.
The Constitutional Act:
  • created a new structure of government for each province (see diagram). It included, for the first time in Canada's history, a legislative assembly, the members of which were elected by the people. The result was representative but not responsible government since the governor-general could veto or refuse bills passed by the elected legislative assembly.