Britain: losing and gaining an empire, 1763–1914 - 3 Learning from past…

The idea

After the 1837 rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada, Lord Melbourne sent the Earl of Durham as High Commissioner with wide powers to investigate and pacify the colonies. Durham's importance lies in the scope of that commission: he could dismiss and appoint officials, suspend the constitution and report directly to London. He relied on Charles Buller as his chief secretary, who helped draft the report and later defended it in Parliament, and on Edward Gibbon Wakefield, whose theories of systematic colonisation shaped Durham's thinking on land and emigration. The Durham Report (1839) recommended uniting the two Canadas, granting responsible government, and solving French–English tension by assimilation. Its importance is that responsible government was gradually adopted, reshaping Britain's empire.

What earns the marks

• Explains why Durham's appointment mattered: the commission gave him exceptional authority to suspend the Lower Canada constitution, dismiss officials and gather evidence, making his investigation possible.
• Shows Buller's role as chief secretary and principal drafter, and his later parliamentary defence of the report's recommendations.
• Shows Wakefield's role in supplying colonisation theory, especially systematic settlement and land policy, which influenced Durham's proposals.
• Identifies the main recommendations: union of Upper and Lower Canada, responsible government, and assimilation of French Canadians.
• Assesses importance: union was implemented in 1841, responsible government was conceded in stages, and the report became a reference point for later imperial policy.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Treating Durham as sole author.

  Put it right: The report was a collective product, with Buller drafting much of it and Wakefield contributing ideas, so credit must be shared.

• Assuming responsible government was granted immediately in 1839.

  Put it right: The recommendation was implemented gradually, and the 1841 Act of Union did not itself create full responsible government.

• Confusing the 1837 rebellions with the report.

  Put it right: The rebellions were the context that prompted the commission, not part of the report's contents.

Exam tips

• Link each figure to a specific contribution rather than listing names, so Buller and Wakefield are analysed, not just mentioned.
• Separate recommendation from outcome: state what Durham proposed, then judge how far and how quickly it was carried out.
• Use the report's own context of French–English tension to explain why assimilation was proposed and why it proved controversial.