The Act of Union to merge Upper Canada and Lower Canada into a single entity, called the Province of Canada, was passed by the British Parliament on July 23, 1840, with the effective date of February 10, 1841.
The act was intended to address political deadlock and the perceived need to assimilate the French-speaking population of Lower Canada, though it was viewed as unfair to Lower Canada due to its economic burden and the equal representation in the new assembly despite its larger population. The act did not grant responsible government immediately, which was a system where the executive council was accountable to the elected assembly. However, it set the stage for its eventual establishment in 1848. More.
