Article
Constitutional Act, 1791 (Plain-Language Summary)
The Constitutional Act, 1791 was an act of the British Parliament. It was also known as the Canada Act. It divided the Province of Quebec into Upper Canada and Lower Canada. The Act was a first step on the long path to Confederation. It also gave women who owned property in Lower Canada the right to vote. But its rigid colonial structures set the stage for the Rebellions of 1837–38. This article is a plain-language summary of the Constitutional Act, 1791. If you would like to read about this topic in more depth, please see our full-length entry: Constitutional Act, 1791.
