How Did Confederation Start?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Beginning in 1864, colonial politicians (now known as the Fathers of Confederation)

met and negotiated the terms of Confederation

at conferences in Charlottetown, Quebec City and London, England. Their work resulted in the British North America Act, Canada’s Constitution. It was passed by the British Parliament.

What events led to Confederation?

  • Canadian/American Tension. 1864.
  • Coalition Government. 1864.
  • The Charlottetown Conference. September 1864.
  • Threat of American Takeover. 1865.
  • End of the Reciprocity Treaty. 1865.
  • The Quebec Conference. October 1864.
  • Fenian Invasion. 1866.
  • British North America Act. 1867.

When did the idea of Confederation start?

Beginning in

1864

, colonial politicians (now known as the Fathers of Confederation) met and negotiated the terms of Confederation at conferences in Charlottetown, Quebec City and London, England. Their work resulted in the British North America Act, Canada’s Constitution. It was passed by the British Parliament.

What are the 5 factors of Confederation?

There were five main factors of confederation. They are “

the railways, changing British attitudes, threat of American invasion, political deadlock and cancellation of the reciprocity treaty

.

Who was responsible for Confederation?

Finally, the two major architects of Confederation:

George-Étienne Cartier and John A. Macdonald

.

What were the 6 main reasons for confederation?

  • Political Deadlock. Canada West and Canada East had an equal number of representatives in the Legislative Assembly. …
  • American Expansion. …
  • A railway from east to west was needed. …
  • Great Britain wanted to break some ties. …
  • Cancellation of the Reciprocity Treaty. …
  • Expansion to the West.

Who are the main Fathers of Confederation?

Finally, the two major architects of Confederation:

George-Étienne Cartier and John A. Macdonald

.

What are disadvantages of Confederation?

  • It took a long time for it to be fully implemented. …
  • It had no authority to regulate commerce. …
  • It had not authority to levy taxes. …
  • It provided too much independence. …
  • It placed value on slavery. …
  • It restricted the ability to act in an emergency.

What led to the idea of Confederation in Canada?

Confederation was inspired in

part by fears that British North America would be dominated and even annexed by the United States

. (See also: Manifest Destiny.) These fears grew following the American Civil War (1861–65). The violence and chaos of the Civil War shocked many in British North America.

How did the railway lead to Confederation?

In exchange for joining the Canadian Confederation,

provinces were promised a railway link

. Construction of the railway would provide work for hundreds of thousands people, in addition to establishing Canada’s reputation abroad and encouraging colonization.

Who was the youngest Father of Confederation?


Andrew Archibald Macdonald 1829

-1912. Macdonald, a merchant and ship owner, was the youngest Father of Confederation. He entered politics at 25 years of age as a member of the Island Assembly.

Who was the oldest Father of Confederation?


Hewitt Bernard

, who was the recording secretary at the Charlottetown Conference, is considered by some to be a Father of Confederation. The leaders most responsible for bringing three specific provinces into Confederation after 1867 are also referred to as Fathers of Confederation.

Who was the most important Father of Confederation?

The wives and daughters of the original 36 men have also been described as the Mothers of Confederation. They played an important role in the social gatherings that were a vital part of the Charlottetown, Quebec and London Conferences.

Sir John A. Macdonald

is commonly viewed as the chief architect of Confederation.

How old is Canada?

The Canada that we know today is a relatively recent construction (

less than 65 million years old

) but it is composed of fragments of crust that are as old as 4 billion years.”

What were the three conferences that led to Confederation?


The Charlottetown Conference

was followed by the Quebec Conference (10–27 October 1864) and the London Conference (December 1866–March 1867). They culminated in Confederation on 1 July 1867.

What is an example of a confederation?

During 1907, five Central American States, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua and Salvador established a confederation.

The League of Nations (1919-1944)

is one of the best examples of a confederation. Now the U.N. has been formed for establishing world peace.

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.