- Definition
The Family Compact was a small, powerful group of men in early Ontario who controlled the government and courts because they believed in British ways of doing things.
A member of the Family Compact might appoint his business partner as a judge to ensure court decisions favoured their interests.
How to teach this in 30 seconds
Try this analogy: The Family Compact was like a small group of friends who always got to be team captains and make all the rules for everyone else playing the game.
Ask your child: What might happen if one group of friends made all the rules for a game?
Common mix-up: Kids might think 'Family Compact' means they were all one big family. They were actually a close-knit group of powerful friends and allies who shared the same beliefs.
Examples
- Members gave the best land grants to their friends and supporters, leaving little for new settlers.
- Key government positions, like council members, were filled by men from this same elite group.
- They often blocked reforms that would have given more power to elected assemblies and ordinary citizens.
Family Compact is a term used in Ontario’s Kindergarten to Grade 8 curriculum.
Where this shows up
The descriptions on this page are SmartStudy’s own original, plain-language writing — not the Ministry’s wording. They are aligned to the Ontario Curriculum, © King’s Printer for Ontario. For the Ministry’s official wording, see the source link below. SmartStudy is an independent service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the Government of Ontario or the Ministry of Education. Ontario Curriculum and Resources ↗
