French Canadians feared anglophone domination of government. But Confederation would grant French Canadians their own legislature and a strong presence in the federal Cabinet. Of all the proposed changes, Confederation was the least undesirable for French Canadians. The conference was already underway. Discussions for Maritime union were not making much progress. The Canadians were invited to submit their own proposals for a union of the BNA colonies. The idea of a united country quickly took over.
A month later, the colonies called a second meeting to discuss Confederation. At the Quebec Conference , the delegates passed 72 Resolutions. These explicitly laid out the fundamental decisions made at Charlottetown , including a constitutional framework for a new country. The Resolutions were legalistic and contractual in tone.
They were deliberately different from the revolutionary tone of the American Constitution, which had been drafted a century earlier. See also: Quebec Conference of ; Constitutional History. The Canadian Resolutions outlined the concept of federalism.
Powers and responsibilities would be divided between the provinces and the federal government. See also: Distribution of Powers. Cartier pushed hard for provincial powers and rights. Macdonald was keen to avoid the mistakes that had led to the US Civil War.
He advocated for a strong central government. A semblance of balance was reached between these two ideas. The Resolutions also outlined the shape of a national Parliament. There would be an elected House of Commons based on representation by population , and an appointed Senate. Each region would have an equal voice in the appointed chamber. The resolutions also included specific financial commitments. These included the construction by the new federal government of the Intercolonial Railway from Quebec to the Maritimes.
The colonies recognized they needed to improve communications and grow economically. Railways between the colonies would boost economic opportunity through increased trade. They would also make borders more defensible by enabling the quick movement of troops and weaponry. See also: Railway History. Some Maritime delegates declared that the building of a rail line was a precondition of their joining Canada. All except Newfoundland enjoyed prosperous economies. They felt comfortable as they were.
The bulk of the population, especially in Nova Scotia and PEI, saw no reason to change their constitution just because Canada had outgrown its own.
Even Newfoundland, despite economic difficulties in the s, postponed a decision on Confederation in In an election in , they decisively rejected it. See also: Newfoundland and Labrador and Confederation. The more prosperous PEI resisted almost from the start. A small, dedicated group of Confederationists made little headway until early in the s. At that time, PEI was badly indebted by the construction of a railway. It joined Confederation in in return for Canada taking over its loan payments.
See also: PEI and Confederation. Nova Scotians were divided. Confederation was popular in the northern areas of the mainland and in Cape Breton. But along the south shore and in the Annapolis Valley — the prosperous world of shipping , shipbuilding , potatoes and apples — the idea seemed unattractive or even dangerous. Conservative Premier Charles Tupper was ambitious, aggressive and confident. He went ahead with Confederation anyway. He was convinced that in the long run it would be best for Nova Scotia, and perhaps also for himself.
Tupper briefly served as prime minister in His government was not up for re-election after Confederation was finalized. By that time, it was too late for the 65 per cent of Nova Scotians who opposed the idea. New Brunswick was only a little more enthusiastic.
In , the anti-Confederation government of A. Smith was elected. It collapsed the following year. It was replaced by a new pro-Confederation government. Its support for a British North American union was helped by the Fenian invasions of that spring. The raids badly weakened anti-Confederation positions. They revealed shortfalls in the leadership, structure and training of the Canadian militia.
This led to a number of reforms and improvements. More importantly, the threat the irregular Fenian armies posed to British North America led to greater support among British and Canadian officials for Confederation. Growing concerns over American military and economic might had the same effect. Indigenous peoples were not invited to or represented at the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences.
This despite the fact they had established what they believed to be bilateral nation-to-nation relationships and commitments with the Crown through historic treaties. The Fathers of Confederation , however, held dismissive, paternalistic views of Indigenous peoples. Confederation had a significant impact on Indigenous communities. In , the federal government assumed responsibility over Indigenous affairs from the colonies.
The Dominion wanted to develop, settle and claim these lands, as well as those in the surrounding area. The government promised them money, certain rights to the land and other concessions. In exchange, the First Nations in all colonies except British Columbia ceded surrendered their traditional territories.
Most of the promises in these treaties went unfulfilled. The intentions expressed by the treaties, and the clarity with which they were communicated to and understood by the Indigenous people who signed them, has been the subject of considerable debate.
The decades following Confederation saw the government increasingly try to assimilate Indigenous peoples into Canadian society. See also: Indian Act ; Reserves. He vigorously instructed his governors in North America to promote the idea, which they did. Confederation meant Canada would have to pay for its own defence, rather than relying on British support. The London Conference December to February , was the final stage of translating the 72 Resolutions of into legislation.
It was proclaimed into law on 1 July See: Canada Day. The young country expanded with the addition of Manitoba and the North-West Territories that same year.
The Yukon territory was created in and the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in Having rejected Confederation in , Newfoundland and Labrador finally joined in This was part of the largest Indigenous land claim settlement in Canadian history.
Confederation was the product of three conferences attended by delegates from five colonies. Thirty-six men are traditionally regarded as the Fathers of Confederation. They represented the BNA colonies at one or more of the conferences that led to Confederation. Among the Fathers of Confederation, several played especially significant roles. The project of Confederation likely would not have been undertaken were it not for the dogged persistence of George Brown. Sir John A. Macdonald orchestrated the political machinations necessary to get all the various parties to sign on.
And Alexander Galt also made important contributions. The subject of who should be included among the Fathers of Confederation has been a matter of some debate. The wives and daughters of the original 36 men have also been described as the Mothers of Confederation. They played key roles in the social gatherings that were a vital part of the Charlottetown, Quebec and London Conferences.
Official records of the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences are sparse. They provide a view into the experiences of privileged women of the era. They also draw attention to the contributions those women made to the historic record and political landscape. The diary includes descriptions of the Fathers of Confederation and their personalities. It brings to light the social politics of midth-century Canada. Confederation Day! See the text of an article from "The Globe" newspaper about the day Confederation became the law of the land in Canada.
From Library and Archives Canada. Richard Gwyn on Sir John A. Par le Dictionnaire biographique du Canada en ligne. From Historica Canada. Part of the House of Commons Heritage Collection.
From the website for the Parliament of Canada. Macdonald pour un Canada uni. De Historica du Canada. Country by Consent A multimedia chronological account of major political events that have shaped Canada. In the face of dwindling external markets, Confederation could provide the colonies with the ability to sell goods to each other more easily. Railways offered a new and infinitely faster way to transport goods and resources as well as troops and weaponry, which would help boost economies and strengthen borders.
That sparked discussions among the Maritime colonies about merging into a single unit in the hopes of gaining political strength and attracting overseas financial investment.
The Canadians would come around eventually. In the early s, the politics of the Province of Canada were marked by instability and deadlock, a result of the union of Upper and Lower Canada some 20 years earlier.
It proved to be a turning point in Canadian history, paving the way for the Charlottetown Conference. The Charlottetown Conference of September set Confederation in motion. The meeting brought together delegates from New Brunswick , Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to discuss the union of their three provinces. However, they were persuaded by the Great Coalition from the Province of Canada — not originally on the guest list — to work for the union of all the British North American colonies.
The 36 men traditionally regarded as the Fathers of Confederation were those who represented British North American colonies at one or more of the conferences that led to Confederation. The subject of who should be included among the Fathers of Confederation has been a matter of some debate. But historians have been able to flesh out the social and political dynamics at play in these conferences by consulting the letters and journals of the Mothers of Confederation.
They not only provide a view into the experiences of privileged women of the era, but draw attention to the contributions those women made to the historic record and political landscape. The broad decisions of Charlottetown were refined and focused into 72 resolutions, which became the basis of Confederation.
He instructed his governors in North America in the strongest language possible, to promote the idea, which they did.
The London Conference , from December to February , was the final stage of translating the 72 Resolutions of into legislation. It was proclaimed into law on 1 July , which Canadians now celebrate as Canada Day. Despite their exclusion, Confederation had a significant impact on Indigenous communities.
In , the federal government assumed responsibility over Indigenous affairs from the colonies. Seeking to develop, settle and claim these lands, as well as those in the surrounding area, the Dominion signed a series of 11 treaties from to with various Indigenous peoples, promising them money, certain rights to the land and other concessions in exchange for their traditional territories.
Most of these promises went unfulfilled or were misunderstood by the signatories. The years following Confederation saw increased government systems of assimilation, including reserves , the Indian Act and residential schools. Yukon was created in and the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan in Having rejected Confederation in , Newfoundland and Labrador finally joined in Search The Canadian Encyclopedia.
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