In 1840, Britain passed the Act of Union, which merged Lower and Upper Canada into a single colony, the United Province of Canada. Québec City then lost its role as political capital, which, after attempts in several other cities, ultimately fell to Ottawa. In this context, the city became known as the “Vieille Capitale”, or the “Old Capital”. Immigrants came to Québec City from all over the Empire, from the British Isles and all the way from India! By mid-century, about half the city was English-speaking.

In 1867, a confederated Dominion of Canada was formed and Québec City regained its status as a capital, this time of the province of Quebec. Despite industrialization in the years that followed, the city suffered an economic downturn. Many Québec City families, including many wealthy English-speakers, left for Montréal or Ottawa. The exodus was facilitated by the new trans-Canadian railroad system. By the end of the century, only 15% of Québec City’s 65,000 inhabitants were English-speaking.