Editing Federalism in Quebec (section)

== Historical context ==
{{sources needed|date=June 2021}}
The idea that the [[Province of Quebec]] should remain a part of the [[Canadian Confederation]] is based on a variety of historical and cultural justifications, principally centred on the composition of Canadian culture prior to [[Confederation]] in 1867. The Federalist view of Canadian history suggests that Canada as a nation is intrinsically tied to the Canadian people, a product of imperial synthesis. The realities of colonial-era life for French and British settlers was heavily influenced by local considerations, such as climate, geography and established Aboriginal societies. The economic realities of [[New France]] required a cooperative relationship with these already established societies, and the French were more than willing to do so, recognizing some 39 sovereign Aboriginal nations as strategic partners and allies at the [[Great Peace of Montreal]] in 1701. In effect, this singular event best represents proto-Canadian Federalism, and would serve as a model for later political developments. After the [[Seven Years' War]], the British colonial authority administering the newly created [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] decided to leave many socio-cultural institutions in place, such as the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec|Catholic Church]], [[Napoleonic code|French Civil Law]], the [[Seigneurial system of New France|Seigneurial System]], and perhaps most importantly, the traditional agrarian lifestyles and languages of the early [[Habitants]], the first [[Canadiens]]. In this sense, Canada was spared the [[cultural hegemony]] of the [[British Empire]] and was not assimilated. The British were quick to recognize that the [[House of Bourbon|French Monarchy]] and elites were quick to abandon New France, and that a resentment had been growing against imperial domination. The [[Ancien Régime]] administration was cognizant of the development of a new culture many years before [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham|The Conquest]], and decided against pursuing any more involvement in the economically unsustainable colony. Under British administration, the influx of new capital as a result of the migration of [[Loyalists]] into [[Upper Canada]], the [[Maritimes]] and the [[Eastern Townships]] and the threat of a newly independent and militaristic [[United States]], all led to substantial development for the colony. It is during this period that Quebec and [[Montreal]] became the economic focal point of the new colony, and a strong proponent of a new national identity. During the [[Rebellions of 1837]], Canadian federalists, such as [[Louis-Joseph Papineau]], [[Wolfred Nelson]] and [[William Lyon MacKenzie]] fought with the British colonial government for enhanced representation, among other grievances.