The Constitutional Act of 1791 (LBPSB)

In 1776, the thirteen colonies declared their independence from the British Empire. After seven years of war, the Americans achieved their goal and the United States was formed. Many English colonists who wished to remain loyal to the British Crown decided to leave the newly formed United States and move to Quebec, which was still considered British colony. We call these people Loyalists. The territory of North America was redistributed and the British government adopted the constitutional act in 1791. This act separated the Province of Quebec into two new provinces: Upper-Canada and Lower-Canada. Most of the loyalists settled in Upper-Canada, while Lower-Canada was population mostly by French colonists.

This mapping task shared by LBPSB consultant David Emory asks students to trace the new territories and routes of loyalists! Then, students are asked to imagine that they are loyalists that decided to leave the United States after the war. They will write a detailed account of their voyages and explain the reasons why they decided to move to Canada.

Starter Map and Detailed Instructions:
Detailed instructions for this mapping scenario are available in the DESCRIPTION of a starter map, while the starter points provide more detailed resources and task descriptions.
Click to open the starting map that you can duplicate.