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Home , A mari usque ad mare, Charlottetown Conference, Great Coalition

The Road to Confederation

Canada becomes a country 1860-1870

1 The Union of the

• Politics and Economics • after 1845 - railway development the issue • need for government involvement • “all my politics is railroads” • true for most major politicians

2 The Union of the Canadas

• “Rep by Pop” • West not happy with legislative union • difficult to run things with a split • needed to have a double majority to pass laws • majority from or Canada West and majority in the combined Assembly

3 The Union of the Canadas

• George Brown • need for a federal union

4 The Union of the Canadas

• Toward Confederation • Reform Party - 1859 George Brown promotes federal union • a wider British North American union? • Kicked around during the 1860s • external pressures • internal strife

5 Impact of the American Civil War

• Historian Frank Underhill “Somewhere on Parliament Hill in Ottawa…there should be erected a monument to this American ogre who has so often performed the function of saving us from drift and indecision.”

6 Impact of the American Civil War

• Britain’s role in the Civil War • CSS Alabama • Union claimed Britain knew what was going on • wanted compensation - perhaps Canada • Trent affair • Mason and Slidell taken off ship • sent troops to Canada to defend • need for a rail link in Canada - economics and military

7 Impact of the American Civil War

• The St. Alban’s raid • Oct. 1864 St. Alban’s Vermont • robbed 3 banks - $200 000 • killed and wounded 3 people • escaped to Canada • released by Canadian judge • United States military threatens retaliation if southern raiders not turned over

8 The

• Failure of Canadian government • Reformers and Conservatives alike could not maintain a government • June 1864 - Macdonald- Tache coalition fails • Governor General Monck urged talks between Conservatives and Reformers

9 The Great Coalition

• John A. Macdonald - Conservatives • George Brown - Clear Grit Reformers • Brown wants • federation of all • representation by population (rep by pop) • incorporation of North-West into Canada

10 Conference

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• • - • Leonard Tilley - • John Gray - PEI • all agreed to meet - joined by representative from the Canadas

12 Charlottetown Conference

• Best and brightest of the United Canadas • John A. Macdonald • George-Etienne Cartier • Alexander Galt • George Brown

13 Charlottetown Conference

• A framework is established • loyalty to Britain - membership in the • strong central government • provincial control over local issues • rep by pop in lower house - by regional representation in upper house • work done in week’s time

14 Conference

15 Quebec Conference

• October 1864 • 72 resolutions form basis of British North America Act • 2 weeks to hammer out framework for half a dozen BNA colonies • represented best of Britain and the United States

16 Quebec Conference

• A strong central government • Macdonald supported legislative union • wary of the U.S. version - too much power to states • Maritimes wanted a single national government but feared losing identity • French wanted control over language, religion, civil law

17 Quebec Conference

• A compromise • central government with residuary powers • powers not granted specifically to the provinces • “to make laws for the peace, order and good ” • federal government power of disallowance

18 Quebec Conference • Debate over the 72 resolutions • lower house - rep by pop • upper house based on regional representation • just how many from each region? • Maritimes rejected being lumped as one region in the Senate - opposed the number (24) of seats given to them (same as Quebec and ) • senators appointed for life by central govt.

19 Quebec Conference

• Debate over resolutions • what about the debt? • Galt suggested federal government pick up the provincial debt - • federal government to finance the • federal government would control main sources of revenue

20 Responses to Confederation

• Sell the package back home • none thought of future problems federal versus provincial • popular approval or provincial legislatures • Not a difficult sell in Canada West • had the most to gain - rep by pop • North-West to be included

21 Responses to Confederation

• Debate in Canada East • Parti rouge had reservations

22 Responses to Confederation

• “It is not a confederation that is proposed to us, but quite simply a Legislative Union disguised under the name of a confederation. How could one accept as a federation a scheme…that provided for disallowance of local legislation?” Antoine- Aime Dorion

23 Responses to Confederation

• Debate in Canada East • Quebec would be at a disadvantage in both the House of Commons and the Senate • could heighten fears from U.S. • did not like little or not popular input to decision

24 Responses to Confederation

• Cartier countered Dorion • French Canadians would have own province • to be official • new nationality was a political one not a cultural nationality • what would the U.S. really be like? • French Canadians last best hope

25 Responses to Confederation

• Cartier countered Dorion • Cartier close ties with Grand Trunk Railway • desire to be national statesman • enlisted the Church to help • Ignace Bourget - opposed in principle • other bishops were supported • did not want to align with rouges - anticlerical

26 Responses to Confederation

• Final debate • Feb. to March 1865 • Final vote: 91 in favour - 33 against • 54 of 62 from Canada West favoured • 37 of 62 from Canada East • 48 French Canadians - 27 for - 21 against • not overwhelming - but a start

27 Responses to Confederation

• New Brunswick rejects Confederation - initially • Leonard Tilley faced opposition • pointed out pros for province • railway, port of Saint John, need for Maritime coal • 1865 provincial election - Tilley and Confederation supporters lose election

28 Responses to Confederation

• Opposition in Nova Scotia • Charles Tupper faced a serious challenge • - former leader is opposed

29 Responses to Confederation

• Opposition in Nova Scotia • Howe worried about loss of identity • objected to imposition of Confederation with out consulting electorate • took case directly to British Parliament • Tupper needed a decision before election in 1867

30 Responses to Confederation • Rejection by • support went from little to none • Island leadership in disarray • Islanders themselves opposed • prosperity • history of absentee landlords - rejected any suggestions from Colonial office • not much in Confederation for the Island

31 Responses to Confederation

• Newfoundland debates Confederation • massive indifference to idea • fishing was in decline and times were tough • rejected any idea that Confederation could help • Canada too far away - turned to Britain

32 External Pressures

• 1865 - Confederation in doubt • All four Atlantic colonies rejected it • opposition in Canada East • British intervention • American threat

33 External Pressures

• British intervention • Canadian delegation welcomed warmly in 1865 • Howe is received cool reception • changed governor general in Nova Scotia and ordered governor general in N.B. to get busy • guaranteed loan to build Intercolonial

34 External Pressures

• American threats • end of Civil War led extremists to suggest that army march north • Secretary of State Hamilton Fish wanted territory in British North America • March 1866 ended Reciprocity Treaty • hoped Canada would reject Britain and join U.S. • forced provinces closer together

35 External Pressures

• Fenian Raids • Irish republicans in the U.S. wanted Irish independence • invade Canada and hold it for ransom • expected support from Irish Catholics in Canada - no luck • ex-Union army provided lots of recruits

36 External Pressures • Fenian raids • more of a psychological threat than physical one • 1866 invaded New Brunswick - defeated easily • May/June 1866 - 1350 crossed into Canada West Battle of Ridgeway - Fenians actually win the battle – but withdraw under pressure from gathering United States and Canadian forces • would remain a threat until 1870 – The action at Ridgeway has the distinction of being the only armed victory for the cause of Irish independence between 1798 and 1919.

37 External Pressures

• May/June 1866 - 1350 crossed into Canada West Battle of Ridgeway - Fenians actually win the battle – but withdraw under pressure from gathering United States and Canadian forces • would remain a threat until 1870 –The action at Ridgeway has the distinction of being the only armed victory for the cause of Irish independence between 1798 and 1919.

38 Battle of Ridgeway

39 40 Confederation Opposed and Accepted

• New Brunswick • opposition government did not last • Tilley reelected in April 1866 • Confederation accepted by New Brunswick’s government in 1866

41 London Conference - 1866

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42 Confederation Opposed and Accepted • London Conference • delegates meet in London in 1866 • worked to pass British North America Act through Parliament • final round of negotiations • would be a confederation- not a federation • education would be protected by the Quebec clause - (safeguard to Protestant schools in Quebec) to the nation • religious minorities could appeal to government

43 Confederation Opposed and Accepted • London Conference • Howe still tried to pressure rejection- no luck • others not happy but Confederation accepted

44 Confederation Opposed and Accepted • What do we call our new country? • Macdonald preferred “Kingdom of Canada” • British government vetoed idea • Leonard Tilley has an idea

45 Confederation Opposed and Accepted

• Psalm 72 • Let his dominion also be from sea to sea, and from river unto the world’s end And blessed be the name of his majesty forever.

46 Confederation Opposed and Accepted

• Dominion of Canada is born • A Mari Usque Ad Mare (From Sea to Sea) • July 1, 1867 Canada Day

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