▁the ▁Crown ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁obtain ▁land , ▁their ▁fundamental ▁political ▁alleg ian ces ▁were ▁always ▁considered ▁dub ious . ▁By ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁this ▁had ▁become ▁ac utely ▁problem atic ▁since ▁the ▁American ▁sett lers ▁out number ed ▁the ▁original ▁Lo yal ists ▁by ▁more ▁than ▁ten ▁to ▁one . ▁It ▁was ▁this ▁reality ▁that ▁led ▁American ▁legisl ators ▁to ▁spec ulate ▁that ▁bringing ▁Upper ▁Canada ▁into ▁the ▁American ▁fol d ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁" m ere ▁matter ▁of ▁march ing ." ▁Following ▁the ▁war , ▁the ▁colonial ▁government ▁took ▁active ▁steps ▁to ▁prevent ▁Americans ▁from ▁swe aring ▁alleg iance , ▁thereby ▁making ▁them ▁in el ig ible ▁to ▁obtain ▁land ▁gr ants . ▁Rel ations ▁between ▁the ▁appointed ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁and ▁the ▁elected ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁stra ined ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁war , ▁over ▁issues ▁of ▁imm igration , ▁tax ation , ▁bank ing ▁and ▁land ▁spec ulation . ▁ ▁Family ▁Comp act ▁and ▁political ▁cor ruption ▁ ▁The ▁Family ▁Comp act ▁was ▁a ▁small , ▁tight ly ▁kn it ▁group ▁of ▁men ▁who ▁domin ated ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁Upper ▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁financial ▁and ▁religious ▁institutions ▁associated ▁with ▁it . ▁They ▁were ▁the ▁leading ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁administration : ▁executive ▁coun c ill ors , ▁legisl ative ▁coun c ill ors , ▁senior ▁officials ▁and ▁some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁jud ici ary . ▁Their ▁administrative ▁roles , ▁however , ▁were ▁int imately ▁tied ▁to ▁their ▁business ▁activities : ▁" they ▁were