Union, Act of, in Canadian history, united the colonies of Upper Canada and Lower Canada. These colonies occupied much of what is now Ontario and Quebec. The British Parliament passed the act in 1840, and it took effect in 1841. Upper and Lower Canada had been created in 1791 out of the colony of Quebec, which Britain gained from France in 1763. The colonies were created to provide separate governments for the chiefly British Ontario region and the mainly French Quebec region. However, political unrest in the 1830’s led to calls for the colonies to be reunited.
The Act of Union provided for a single governor of the united province, which was called the Province of Canada, and a legislative council of at least 20 members appointed by the governor. The former colonies elected 42 members each to a legislative assembly. The Act of Union made English the only official language of the legislature, but French was added in 1848. The act did not result in stable government, but it encouraged economic development and paved the way for the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
