Upper Canada is an early name for land at the upstream end of the
Saint Lawrence River, in early
North America. It became a political entity in
1791 with the passing of the
Constitutional Act, which divided the Province of
Quebec into Upper and
Lower Canada. The division was affected so that
American settlers in Upper Canada could have
British laws and institutions.
This area is the ancestor of the southern part of the present day province of Ontario, Canada. See the Canadas.
On February 1, 1796 the capital of Upper Canada was moved from Newark (now Niagara on the Lake) to York (now Toronto).