Legal Definitions - family compact

A Family Compact is a term used to describe a group of powerful families who controlled the government and economy of a colony or region. This term is often used to refer to the group of wealthy families who controlled the government of Upper Canada (now Ontario) in the early 19th century.

For example, in Upper Canada, the Family Compact was made up of a small group of wealthy families who held most of the political power. They used their influence to appoint their friends and family members to important government positions, and to pass laws that favored their own interests.

Another example of a Family Compact can be found in colonial Virginia, where a small group of wealthy plantation owners controlled the government and economy of the colony.

These examples illustrate how a Family Compact can be used to describe a group of powerful families who use their influence to control the government and economy of a region or colony.