CONFEDERATION CONFERENCES

WORKIN’ IT OUT…

IT ALL STARTED IN CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I.Charlottetown Conference, August 1864

• In attendance: Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, P.E.I, Canada (United Province of Canada)

• Result: Idea of Maritime Union set aside. Decide to meet in Quebec City.

• The Maritime colonies were already meeting to discuss Maritime Union • Delegates from Canada East and West travelled to Charlottetown to pitch the

idea of a bigger union. They showed up with plenty of champagne and got to work.

ON TO QUEBEC CITY Quebec Conference, October 1864

• In attendance: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, P.E.I, Canada East, Canada West, Newfoundland

• Result: 72 Resolutions outlined the details of Confederation.

• BUT… The governments of each colony had to pass the 72 resolutions in order for the colonies to join.

• It was politics in the day, and parties at night. With the railways picking up many of the bills.

TO JOIN, OR NOT TO JOIN,THAT IS THE QUESTION!

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN

CONFEDERATION CONFERENCE. ROUND 1

• You will each be assigned a colony and will meet up with the other members of your legislature.

• Look at the information provided and on your own answer these questions on a piece of paper: What are the most important points for/against Confederation. Would you support joining?

• Elect a speaker for your colony who will share your group’s decision and most important points. You will have 2 minutes MAX to share your points so make them good!

• When other colonies are sharing their points you need to be listening and/or taking notes so you can use them to help make your decision.

CONFEDERATION CONFERENCE ROUND 2

• Colonies will then elect a different speaker who will try to convince other groups that Confederation is a the right, or wrong, way forward.

• Then each colony will vote on whether they join Confederation or not.

COMPARE YOUR DECISIONS WITH HISTORY

COLONY FOR or AGAISNT

LEADERS ARGUMENTS YEAR ENTERED

Canada East

Canada West

New Brunswick

P.E.I.

Nova Scotia

Newfoundland

Use pages 44-50 in ‘Challenges of the West’ to fill out this chart in your notes.

THE RESULTS • At the London Conference in 1866 British Parliament signed off on

the British North America Act (BNA Act), uniting New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario.

• The BNA act was based on the 72 resolutions.

• The Dominion of Canada came into being on July 1, 1867.

SO WHAT DID THEY AGREE TO?• A reorganization of government based on British and American models

FROM THE BRITISH MODEL

• Queen as head of state, represented in Canada by the Governor General

• Parliamentary government with prime minister and cabinet who controlled government policy. Prime Minister and cabinet were members of the party that had the most seats in the House of Commons.

• House of Commons was made of individuals from each province elected by the people. Quebec was guaranteed 65 members, the rest was based on population

• A second house of Parliament, called the senate, was to double check the laws passed by Parliament.

SO WHAT DID THEY AGREE TO? FROM THE AMERICAN MODEL

• Idea of a federal union. Federal government makes decisions that deal with entire nation and provinces deals with its own issues separately.

• The division of powers between federal and provincial was influenced by the American Civil War. Which was fought over the rights of individual states.

• Macdonald wanted the federal government to be stronger than the provincial government to prevent the same thing from happening in Canada.

THE DIVISION OF POWER

FEDERAL

• Anything that affected the whole country

• defence

• immigration,

• international affairs

• postal service

• money

• criminal code

• aboriginal land and people

PROVINCIAL

• The leftovers

• education

• transportation

• hospitals

• licenses

Hammered out by the 72 Resolutions

• A railway connecting Halifax with the St. Lawrence River with plans to expand further.

• Federal government absorbed all the provinces debts (and much of their income too)

THE PROMISES

• The rights of French speaking people were protected. French- Canadians could keep their own province, language, schools, and religion.

• Roman-Catholic and Protestant schools were guaranteed. Both English and French were to be used in central Parliament, Quebec Parliament, and federal courts.

AND FINALLY…Now that the political wheeling and dealing is over, please answer this question on your own and hand it in. Point form is ok.

• Imagine this… what would have happened if Confederation completely failed. What would Canada look like? Would we be French, American, First Nations? What would we be called?