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The '''Clergy Reserves''' were huge tracts of public land in Upper and Lower Canada that were set aside for the future use of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[clergy]]. They were established under the Constitutional Act of 1791 and amounted to one seventh of public land in Quebec and Ontario.

The '''Clergy Reserves''' were huge tracts of public land in Upper and Lower Canada that were set aside for the future use of [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[clergy]]. They were established under the Constitutional Act of 1791 and amounted to one seventh of public land in Quebec and Ontario.  London intended them to become the base of a landed aristocracy that would oppose democracy.

In practice, the reserves became bastions of wealth and power for the predominantly [[Church of England|Anglican]] elite (the [[Family Compact]]) in Upper Canada, which drew fierce criticism from [[Methodism|Methodists]] and [[disestablishmentarianism|disestablishmentarians]]. The reserves were secularized in 1854.

In practice, the reserves became bastions of wealth and power for the predominantly [[Church of England|Anglican]] elite (the [[Family Compact]]) in Upper Canada, which drew fierce criticism from [[Methodism|Methodists]] and [[disestablishmentarianism|disestablishmentarians]]. The reserves were secularized in 1854.

 

[[Category:Canada]]

[[Category:Canada]]