The Rebellions of 1837–1838 were two armed uprisings that took place in Lower Canada and Upper Canada . The rebellions were motivated by frustrations over lack of political reform. A key goal was responsible government, which was eventually achieved in the incidents' aftermath. The Upper Canada Rebellion took place in December 1837. The "Family Compact" in the title wasn't familial at all, but rather a group of political elites - not all gifted or savvy; simply the "in" people - who had firm control of the government of Upper Canada at the time. - Summary by TriciaG