Chapter 7 topic 4 Confederation Discussions Pages

Focus: How was Confederation finally achieved? Not everyone in British North America appreciated the idea of Confederation. Politicians worked hard to come to an agreement that everyone would accept.

Breaking the Deadlock George Brown, leader of the Clear Grits, convinced his party to join a coalition. They would vote and support the Liberal-Conservatives and Les Bleus (the conservative party of the Canadiens). In return, his party expected support to unite the colonies. Brown proposed federalism (a system of government in which a central government has power over the whole country and provincial governments have power over local and regional matters)

Breaking the Deadlock Federalism would reduce concern in the Maritimes that central Canada would control their affairs. It was a good plan for Canada East and Canada West too, because it would break the political deadlock. Federalism was an ideal plan for British North America. The colonies were scattered and could agree on very little. The Liberal – Conservatives and the Les Bleus agreed to Brown’s idea.

The Talks Heat Up In 1864, delegates from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island were going to meet in Charlottetown. They wanted to discuss a union of the Maritime colonies. The leaders listened and agreed to meet again, soon. A month later, the founders all met in Quebec City and argued for two weeks. They tried to find a compromise (everyone gave up a little to get an agreement they could live with) They finally reached a consensus. They drafted the Seventy - Two Resolutions. These were the foundations for a new country and government.

The Great Debate The colonial assemblies needed to agree to union – hence the great debate. Everyone was talking about union – politicians, families, neighbours, strangers. In the end, the decision was in the hands of the politicians but it is important to note, that this had people talking.

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What the Colonies Decided The Province of Canada (Canada West and Canada East) Most of the people in Canada West were in favour of union unlike in Canada East. Many Canadiens worried that the English would control too much of the country. George – Etienne Cartier disagreed. He believed federalism would allow more control over the things they needed. The Francophones received promises that their language and religion would be respected. Section 95 of the BNA Act gave the provinces control over education.

What the Colonies Decided New Brunswick Many people in New Brunswick worried the larger colonies would control the union. At first, the Assembly voted against the idea. Then Britain put pressure on New Brunswick to accept it. The idea of a railway appealed to many people – politicians and colonists, so they changed their minds.

What the Colonies Decided Prince Edward Island This island colony was isolated from other colonies. People thought that Prince Edward Island was too small. It would be swamped by the other colonies. In other words, people kind of forgot it there, and no one really cared if they joined. As a result, Prince Edward Island did not join Confederation until 1873.

What the Colonies Decided Newfoundland Newfoundland had very little in common with the other colonies. The people did not feel they could contribute or have much influence in the rest of Canada. They were more interested in staying with Britain. Newfoundland and Labrador stayed out of Confederation until 1949!

Working Together The man who finally convinced the colonies to join together was John A Macdonald. He believed Canada had to be a partnership between Canadiens and English Canadians. To make this a reality, he formed a partnership with George-Etienne Cartier from Canada East. Union was George Brown’s idea, but Macdonald was the one who campaigned the idea. He was the at the early discussions in Charlottetown and Quebec. At the London Conference in 1866, he headed the meeting that drew up the British North America Act (BNA Act). He wrote most of it himself.

What’s in a Name? The new country’s name, Canada, came from the Haudenosaunee word for village: Kanata. Many people are proud that our country’s name has roots in the language of one of the First Peoples.

Dawn of Dominion July 1, 1867, saw the creation of a new country: the Dominion of Canada. Citizens celebrated together in many communities across the country. People took to the streets to celebrate and in the morning at 11 o’clock, mayors and officials across the country read the proclamation from Queen Victoria. Canada was now a country.

This is the Royal Union Flag. This is the flag that would have been flown at Canada’s Confederation. It is often referred to simply as the “Union Jack”. Following the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland in 1801, the diagonal Cross of St. Patrick was incorporated with England's St. George's Cross and Scotland's Cross of St. Andrew. This gave the Royal Union flag its present-day configuration. This flag was used across British North America and in Canada even after Confederation from 1867 until 1965.

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