The document summarizes the key causes that led to Canadian confederation in 1867. These included tensions between French and English communities over representation, economic pressures from the repeal of the Corn Laws and loss of trade with the US, and a desire for self-governance amid fears of annexation by the US. Key figures like Macdonald, Cartier and Brown formed a coalition to address these issues and negotiated confederation through conferences in Charlottetown and Quebec City. The British North America Act established Canada as a self-governing federation within the British Empire on July 1, 1867.

1. Causes Leading to
Confederation

5. Refresher: Union Act
Remember the Union - English would be the
Act of 1841? only official language of
government.
- Upper and Lower
Canada were united
under one government.
- Equal representation
in the Assembly.
- Upper Canada’s debt
was pooled with Lower
Canada’s much smaller
one.

6. Corn Laws & Reciprocity
- Corn Laws were in - The colonies of British
place to ensure that North America
British land owners panicked.
reaped all the financial
profits from farming. - To make up for the
The Corn Laws (which lost imperial revenue
imposed steep import the colonies made a
duties) made it too Treaty of Reciprocity.
expensive for anyone
- This opened “free
to import grain.
trade” with the United
- In 1846 Britain States. A lucrative
repealed the Corn market.
Laws.

7. The U.S. Civil War 1861-1865
- The slave owning - And they did! Britain
confederates to the relied on the cotton
south attempted to grown in the southern
cede from the Union. United States.
The free states of the
North were fighting
them into submission.
- The North believed
Britain sympathized
with the Confederates
(the south).

8. Rocky Relationships
- The Reciprocity Americans: “You want
Treaty was due to be free-trade? Fine. Join
renewed in 1865. the American Union.
- The Americans to the - Ironically, this led to
North were British colonies to open
unimpressed by Britain up talks to create a
and refused to renew union of their own.
the Treaty of
Reciprocity. - This would allow them
to have cross-colonial
access to all their
resources.

9. Manifest Destiny
- The colonies had - This threat added
good reasons to be even more fuel to the
wary of the Americans. fire of a unification of
the British North
Manifest Destiny: Was American colonies.
the American belief
that it was their destiny
to control the entire
North American
continent.

10. ChooChoo Choosing
Confederation
- The railway
revolutionized the very - The railway was what
concept of time and made confederation
distance in Canada. possible.
- It united the colonies - The construction of
and expanded the the railway also served
colonies. as transport from the
Maritimes to the
- Finally the colonies interior if deployment of
were no longer isolated troops was ever
from each other. needed to fend off
American annexation.

11. The Push for Confederacy
- The Province of - Frustration with the
Canada was frustrated present system was
by the political running high.
deadlock caused by
the Union Act. - By 1851 the two
leading
- With equal seats reformers, Louis
awarded to both sides LaFontaine& Robert
anyone wishing to hold Baldwin had retired
power needed a tired of the radicalism
majority the included taking place.
French-Canadian
voters.

12. John A. Macdonald
&George Etienne Cartier

13. The Province of Canada:
Politically Polarized
Conservatives: Reformers:
- In Canada West there - Canada West: George
was John A. Macdonald’s Brown’s Reform Party.
“Liberal Conservative” (consisted of farmers who
Party. called themselves: “Clear
Grits”).
- In Canada
East, George-Etienne - Canada East: Antione-
Cartier’s Parti Bleu AimeDorions radical parti
(aligned with the rouge.
Church, pro-British, anti-
American). (These parties later came
together to form the
Liberal Party of Canada).

14. Rep by pop!
- Canada’s population - George Brown
was soaring. stressed
representation by
1861 census: 1.6 population to end what
million in Canada he called “French
West. 1.1 million in Catholic domination”
Canada East.
- Canada East refused
- Yet parliament was to accept “Rep by pop!”
still divided on 50-50
split seats.

15. George did what?!
- On June 24th, 1864 Brown had three
George Brown rose in the conditions:
Assembly and offered to
cross the floor. Gasp! 1. That the coalition work
towards creating a united
- He ended the deadlock federation of ALL British
by joining his arch North America.
nemesis John A.
Macdonald. 2. The representation by
population be
implemented
3. That the future
federation expand west
as far s the pacific. “The
Americans are
encroaching” Brown
warned.

16. Cozy Canadian Coalition
- The coalition - The Parti Rouge were
involved. Macdonalds left out.
English- Canadian
Conservatives. - This “Great Coalition
of 1864” was the
- Cartiers French driving force behind
Canadian confederation.
Conservatives.
- And George Brown’s
English-Canadian
Reformers.

17. Why not make a Maritime
Union?
- The Maritime colonies - The Canadian were
were just as worried worried they would lose
about the American threat the Maritimes and hastily
and the end of reciprocity. set up a proposal to meet
at Charlottetown P.E.I. on
The move was lead by September 1864 to talk it
the three premiers: over.
Charles Tupper: Nova
Scotia
Leonard Tilley: New
Brunswick
John Hamilton Gray:
P.E.I.

18. The Charlottetown
Conference
September 1864: John - Alexander Galt: The
A. Macdonald, George Canadian Minister of
Etienne Cartier, and Finance presented an
George Brown had a economic overview of
conference with the the proposed union.
Maritimes presenting
the overriding - Thomas D’arcy
argument in favor of McGee: An Irish poet
confederation. turned politician
presented the
“Confederation was emotional appeal. A
floated through on “glory argument” that
champagne” – Donald spoke of a “new
Swainson nationality”.

19. The Quebec Conference:
72 Resolutions
- The Maritimes were Which led to…
won over in
Charlottetown and
agreed to meet again
in Quebec City.
- October of 1864 the
delegates met at
Quebec city and the
Canadians presented
“72 Resolutions” which
outlined the specifics of
a possible union.

20. The federal system
Federalism: Having or
relating to a system of - The Canadians
government in which agreed upon
several states form a federalism as their new
unity but remain system of government.
independent in
international affairs. - The model was a mix
between British and
Unitary: A system of American systems. A
government or federation with no
organization in which president.
the powers of the
separate constituent
parts are vested in a
central body. Ie: France

21. Two levels of government
- Provincial - Federal government:
government: currency and banking
education, roads, medi (printing
cine, municipalities, pro money), defense, navig
perty rights. Civil ation, shipping, Native
law, justice, and natural affairs, marriage and
resources. divorce, criminal
law, the seacoast, and
inland fisheries.

22. The structure of the federal
government
The Senate: The House of
Commons:
Canada’s Upper
House, would be Canada’s Lower
appointed (that is, it House, would be
would be non- elected (that is, it
democratic and would would have to answer
never have to answer to Canadian voters-at
to Canadian voters). least at election time).

23. Reaction and Resistance
- Newfoundland and
PEI said no.
- The Quebec
Conference laid out the - The Province of
terms of Canada said yes.
Confederation. The
delegates had to take - Among French
the deal back to their Canadians support
respective parliament. was split with a small
majority voting for
confederation: 27 were
for it, 21 were
opposed.

24. The British North America
Act.
On March The original four, the
29, 1867, Queen “charter members of
Victoria signed the confederation” were as
British North America follows:
Act, and on July 1, it
came into effect. - Nova Scotia
- A new nation was - New Brunswick
born: Canada.
- Quebec
- 3.5 million
- Ontario
people, and four
provinces.

25. “Oh! .?.?.?! We stand on
guard for thee!
Britannica Norland
Aquilonia Superior
Borealia Tuponia
Colonia Transatlantia
Hochelaga Victorialand
Laurentia Ursulia
Norland Vesperia
Efisga

26. Confederation: The
Creation of Canada
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hph52hbhYZQ
1. Who was left out of the decision making process
regarding Canadian confederation?
2. Name the catalysts that lead to confederacy.
3. How did the English speaking majority envision the new
Canada?