Confederation

Overview

Many events contributed to Canada becoming a nation in 1867. Upper and Lower Canada were evolving economially and politically and the American Civil War was threatening established borders. For those reasons and more, three important meetings lead to the establishment of the Dominion of Canada.

Key People

William Lyon Mackenzie - Leader of 1837 Rebellion
Robert Baldwin - Early leader of Upper Canada
Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine- Early leader of Lower Canada
Francis Bond Head - Lieutenant-Governor in 1837
Lord Durham - Wrote the report that lead to reunification of Canada
Charles Metcalfe
Pierre-Stanislas BÈdard
FranÁois Blanchet
Louis-Joseph Papineau
John George Lambton
George-Štienne Cartier
John A. Macdonald
George Brown

Father's of Conferation

For Canada East: George-Étienne Cartier, Jean-Charles Chapais, Thomas D'Arcy McGee, Alexander Tilloch Galt, Hector-Louis Langevin and Étienne-Paschal Taché.
For Canada West: George Brown, Alexander Campbell, James Cockburn, John Alexander Macdonald, William McDougall and Oliver Mowat.
For New Brunswick: Edward Barron Chandler, Charles Fisher, John Hamilton Gray, John Mercer Johnson, Peter Mitchell, William H. Steeves and Samuel Leonard Tilley.
For Nova Scotia: Adams George Archibald, Robert Barry Dickey, William Alexander Henry, Jonathan McCully and Charles Tupper.
For Prince Edward Island: George Coles, John Hamilton Gray, Thomas Heath Haviland, Andrew Archibald Macdonald, Edward Palmer, William Henry Pope and Edward Whelan.
For Newfoundland, only as observers: Frederic Bowker Terrington Carter and Ambrose Shea.

Events

- In 1791 Upper and Lower Canada were formed by the "Consititutional Act" - England's response to the American Revolution
- In 1837 William Lyon Mackenzie led a rebellion against the "Family Compact" or rule by an elite segment of society - the rebellion failed
- In 1841, the "Act of Union" reunited Upper and Lower Canada on recommendation of the Durham Report
- Lower Canada was dissatisfied with Durham Report due to the strong advantages given to English Canada
- In 1841 and 1848 Baldwin and Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine form a government
- In 1848 the colonies are granted responsible government
- In the mid 1860's the United States was embroiled in civil war
- This war disrupted trade and threatened established borders

What it Means

Given all of the influences that were going on in the world and in North America at the time, Canada becoming a nation seems almost inevitable. Either that or Canada would likely have become part of the United States. It seems that our history after that point is also influenced more by internal and world events than by our own planning. The on-going issues surrounding Quebec's sovereignty, world wars, our dependance on the economy of the United States and other circumstances all seem to be a contiunuation of our being pushed along by outside influences rather than following a master plan of any kind.

Get Printable Version