The Road To

Confederation

Cranny, Michael William. Horizons: Canadas Emerging Identity. Prentice Hall Ginn Canada, 2009.

Brenda Ball, John Lyall, and Tom Morton. Nelson BC Socials 9 Student Resource. Nelson Canada 2018
 Station One

Economic
Pressures
Summarize cards A, B, and
C
A Read Me B Read Me
Britain’s economic relationship with the
colonies, was changing. In 1846, the The end of the Corn Laws drove the
British government repealed the Corn colonies into an economic depression.
Laws, which were part of the Although Canadians exported timber
Navigation Acts and gave preferential and agricultural products, they
treatment to British colonies. Canadian manufactured very little. With the old
grain came into Britain with lower tariffs economic relationship now in tatters,
than grain from other countries. This and with few factories or industries,
helped Canadian producers by Canadians began to look at the union
increasing prof- its, but limiting the of all of the colonies as a way of helping
import of grain from other countries their economy. Joining together would
made bread in Britain expensive. This mean larger markets, more industry, and
contributed to the starvation the Irish better transportation systems. A more
suffered during the Potato Famine. By independent Canadian government
repealing the laws and not restricting could develop its own economic
itself to Canadian grain, Britain could policies—policies that would serve
buy wheat, flour, and other products Canada rather than Britain.
at the lowest price—from any country.

C Read Me
In 1865,the United States cancelled the
Reciprocity Treaty. This treaty had
given the colonies of British North
America favoured trade status with
reduced tax rates. This resulted in
reduced trade between the colonies
and the United States. Some of the
colonies became increasingly
concerned about their economic
welfare. The Atlantic colonies had
resource-based economies, so they
benefited from trade relations with
Britain, the United States, and others.
British Columbia had rising debt as the
Cariboo Gold Rush came to an end
and was looking for economic
solutions.
 Station Two

Manifest
Destiny
Create a sketch or cartoon
to illustrate the card A & B
A Read Me B Read Me
Confederation opened up another
possibility—that of expansion to the West.
The vast western territories, which were
The American Civil War, which began in
held by the Hudson’s Bay Company, 1861, heightened the threat. When the
could be annexed to Canada, and war ended in 1865, the army of the
therefore denied to the United States. victorious northern states could have
Canadians were suspicious of American easily invaded Canada because it had
intentions in the West. After all, American more soldiers than the total population
politicians made speeches about Manifest in all the Canadian colonies. Britain had
Destiny, which claimed that the destiny of also angered the North by supporting
the United States was to own all of North the South during the war, providing
America. Americans had already invaded warships and money. Confederates
Canada twice— during the American
(southerners) had been able to attack
Revolution and during the War of 1812.
the northern states by travelling through
The small, scattered colonies of British
North America had almost no defences Canada. Many wondered if the North
against American aggression, but the would retaliate against Britain by
United States would be less likely to invade sending the army into Canada.
a united, sovereign country.

C Read Me

• Annex to take over a territory and

add it to the territory of another
country
• Manifest Destiny an American idea
that it was the fate of the United
States to control all of North
America
• American Civil War also called
the War Between the States, it
began in 1861 and ended in 1865.
The industrialized North fought the
agricultural South. A divisive issue
was slavery, which the South
supported.
 Station Three

Need for a
Railroad
In your notebook, explain
what were the difficulties
before a railroad, and
what positive changes a
railroad would bring.
A Read Me B Read Me

By 1860, each of Canada West, Unfortunately by 1860, the Grand

Canada East, Nova Scotia, and Trunk Railway, which ran from
New Brunswick had its own Sarna in Canada West to Reviere-
railway. However, no railway du-Loup in Canada East, was
joined the colonies. The United bankrupt. The Great Western
Province of Canada was Railway, which ran from the
separated from the Atlantic Niagara River to Windsor, also
colonies by the mountains in developed financial trouble.
Gaspe and the northern part of Railway building in the British North
the state of Maine. The St. American colonies came to a halt.
Lawrence River froze each However, some politicians and
winter, stopping water businessmen were beginning to
transportation between the dream of a new country united by
colonies. a railway.

C Read Me
An intercolonial railway
would overcome these
obstacles. The distance
between the colonies would
seem much shorter. An
intercolonial railway would
increase trade among the
colonies and speed up mail
delivery. In case of war,
especially attack by the
United States a railway would
move troops quickly from on
colony to another.
 Station Four

Political
Pressures
In your notebook, explain
what were the main
conflicts in the Province of
Canada before
Confederation.
A Read Me B Read Me
In the Province of Canada, ruling
two very different groups with
one government was
challenging, especially as the
population grew. In Canada With Confederation,
West, the Liberal Party wanted to Canada West and
diminish French political power in Canada East would have
the Province of Canada and
their own local
assimilate French Canadians. The
Conservative Party wanted to government but would
uphold the government. The also work together under
leaders of both parties eventually one federal, or centralized,
agreed that unifying the colonies
through Confederation offered a government
better chance to resolve the
political conflict over Canada
East.

C Read Me D Read Me
Political parties were a relatively The government of the Province of
new concept in pre- Canada was filled with
Confederation Canada. A independent politicians who
political party attracts people answered to no one. These
who have similar ideas and members could topple a
goals. In Canada, political government by voting against one
parties formed to represent the of its bills, a situation that created
interests of the French and the crisis after crisis as governments
English. Other groups, including tried to survive. The government of
Aboriginal peoples, had no Canada was always made up of
representation and no party. a number of parties—a coalition. If
Parties developed a platform, even one party left the coalition,
which described the changes the government would fall.
they wanted to make and how Governments survived by doing
they would achieve their goals. nothing. People hoped that
Confederation would
bring change.
 Station Five

Opposition to
Confederation
In your notebook, explain
what were the main
reasons people were
opposed to
Confederation.
A Read Me B Read Me
First, the colonies felt that if they Second, most people did not feel
were joined together in a any great attachment to the
federation, they would lose their people of the other colonies.
independence. There would be French Canadians felt they had
a central government, and it little in common with English-
would most likely control speaking Canadians. They had no
defence, foreign affairs, money, desire to become even more of a
postage, and taxation. Although minority in a larger, mostly English-
Britain already controlled some speaking country. Nor did the
of these areas of responsibility, people in the Maritime colonies
many colonists preferred dealing feel that they should be part of a
with London, which was far greater “Dominion of Canada.”
away, rather than a new Their economies had closer links to
government located in Canada Britain and eastern United States
West or Canada East. than to the Canadas.

C Read Me
Third, the idea of Confederation
started “at the top.” The
population at large had to be
convinced, which was not easy.
In addition, Confederation could
cost a lot of money, which would
have to be paid for with more
taxes. Victorian Canadians were
as skeptical of what politicians
promised as people are today.
Those who wanted union had to
convince people that their
proposal had merit, which
involved a lot of time and effort.
 Station Six
British
Columbia's
path to
Confederation
In your notebook, explain
what were the main
reasons people were
opposed to
Confederation.
A Read Me B Read Me
Until the mid-1800s, the population
of British Columbia was Governor James Douglas
predominantly Indigenous. With a instructed governments
series of gold rushed starting in 1850, agents to sign treaties with
and influx of migrant workers began First Peoples to settle territorial
to change this. As miners arrived
from Europe, China, the U.S., and disputes and create reserves
elsewhere, violent conflicts erupted to protect First Peoples lands.
with First Peoples communities, However, after Douglas’s term
including the Fraser Canyon War of as Governor ended, the new
1858. The First Peoples did not
consider themselves to be
governor ceased the treaty
inhabitants of a British colony, an process. He offered First
the miners and other workers were Peoples no compensation for
encroaching on the lands they had the takeover of their lands
inhabited for thousands of years.

C Read Me D Read Me

In the early 1860’s, the Cariboo Thus, one of British Columbia’s

Gold Rush resulted in more conditions for joining Canada
prospectors and settlers arriving was the construction of a new
from Great Britain and the road through the Rockies
colonies of eastern British North within three years, to join the
America. Once the gold rush
ended, however, the economy
new province with the rest of
of the colony slowed down. the country. The government
Those in favour of joining offered to build a railway
Canada, many of them British or instead. Having reached an
of British descent – believed that agreement that met their
doing so would encourage conditions, British Columbia
economic growth. joined Canada in 1871.
 Station Seven
Fathers of
Confederation
Pick one of the important
figures from confederation
and conduct research.
Hewitt Bernard, secretary Sir Alexander Campbell Sir Charles Tupper
William Henry Steeves Sir Adams George Archibald John Hamilton Gray, N.B.
Edward Whelan Sir Hector-Louis Langevin William Henry Pope
William Alexander Henry Sir John A Macdonald William McDougall
Charles Fisher Sir George-Etienne Cartier Thomas D'Arcy McGee
John Hamilton Gray, P.E.I. Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché Andrew Archibald Macdonald
Edward Palmer George Brown Jonathan McCully
George Coles Thomas Heath Haviland John Mercer Johnson
Sir Samuel Leonard Tilley Sir Alexander Tilloch Galt Robert Duncan Wilmot
Sir Frederic B. T. Carter Peter Mitchell Sir William Pearce Howland
Jean-Charles Chapais James Cockburn John William Ritchie
Sir Ambrose Shea Sir Oliver Mowat
Edward Barron Chandler Robert Barry Dickey
A Research the Following B Research the Following

• Name: • Name:
• Birth and Death • Birth andNaDeath
• Location: • Location:
• Role and Significant • Role and Significant
Contributions: Contributions:

C Research the Following D Research the Following

• Name: • Name:
• Birth and Death • Birth and Death
• Location: • Location:
• Role and Significant • Role and Significant
Contributions: Contributions:
 Station Seven
Map of Canada
1867
Examine the map of Canada in 1867 and answer the
questions.
A Answer the Question B Answer the Question

Why might the colonies of What type of problems

British North America existed between the
have felt threatened by separate colonies of
the United States? British North America
(Consider that the United (think about
States purchased Alaska geography, the
from Russia on March 30, economy, and
1867.)
transportation)?

C Answer the Question

What parts of British

North America might
have been more suited
geographically to join
the United States than
to join the other British
North American
colonies?