But nothing was done. Once the Province of Canada announced an interest in attending such a meeting, the Maritime governments began to organize. Charlottetown was appointed as the place — PEI officials would not attend otherwise — and 1 September was chosen as the date. See also: Charlottetown Conference. The Province of Canada was growing more prosperous and populous. It was rapidly developing politically, socially and industrially.
As it did, its internal rivalries also grew. As a result, the job of governing Canada West now Ontario and Canada East now Quebec from a single legislature became difficult. See also: Act of Union. After achieving responsible government , politicians in Canada West began calling for true representation by population.
In the s, Canada West benefitted from having a disproportionately large number of seats in the legislature. It had a smaller population than Canada East, but the same number of seats. By the s, the population of Canada West was the bigger of the two. This and other divisive issues — such as government funding for Catholic schools throughout the colony — made English Protestants in Canada West suspicious of French Catholic power in Canada East.
By , the rift between English and French had created years of unstable government and political deadlock. It was worsened by a growing divide between conservatives and reformers within Canada West.
Structural change was required to break the political paralysis. Confederation would separate the two Canadas and give each its own legislature. This was posed as the solution to these problems. By , four short-lived governments had fought to stay in power in the Province of Canada. Macdonald and Clear Grits led by George Brown — formed an alliance. It was known as the Great Coalition.
It sought a union with the Atlantic colonies. This gave Confederation a driving force that it never lost.
In Canada East, Confederation was opposed by A. But it was supported by the dominant political group, the conservative Parti bleu. By , they had the necessary support of the Catholic Church. Confederation was justified on the grounds that French Canadians would get back their provincial identity. Their capital would once more be Quebec City. 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 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. Remember me. I forgot my password.
0コメント