The Road to Confederation

History & Politics

Democracy in England

Magna Carta (1215-The Great Charter of English liberty) Rule of Law: No person was above the law.

Ended the Divine Right of Kings English Parliament by 1500’s

Approve new taxes Pass laws Advise monarchy on public matters

British Colonies 1620-Pilgrims come to Plymouth, New

England to avoid religious persecution “Mayflower Compact”- white, male,

landowners could vote in representatives and a colonial governor.

Not disputed by the British as there were too many problems in the Mother Country (England).

John Locke (1632-1704)

British Philosopher-challenged Divine Rights of Kings.

Proponent of “natural rights”-life, liberty, property.

People have the right to support or overthrow their government.

Quebec Act (1774) enlarged the boundaries of Quebec, which included

the Indian territory south of the Great Lakes between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers on the west.

an elected assembly was not provided.

Religious freedom was guaranteed for the colony's Roman Catholic majority, and a simplified Test Oath, which omitted references to religion, enabled them to enter public office conscientiously

established French civil law and British criminal law.

Quebec Act: 2 Views View #1: an attempt to rectify some of the

problems created by the ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1763, which: dramatically reduced the size of New France provided an untouchable Indian territory out of

the vast western interior promised an elected assembly.

Views #2: an attempt to deal more fairly with the colony's French Catholics, perhaps to ensure their loyalty in the event of troubles with the American colonies

An end to the Act…

became less effective when Loyalists (British colonists living in the American territories who

supported the British cause during the American Revolution) began arriving in the colony after 1783.

It was eventually replaced by the Constitutional Act (1791), which created UPPER CANADA and LOWER CANADA.

Constitutional Act (1791)

Act of British Parliament that created “Upper” and “Lower” Canada.

to "assimilate" each colony's constitution to that of Britain.

ensure British Parliamentary institutions in all territories.

Goals of the Constitutional Act: guarantee equal rights and privileges of all loyal

subjects in North America

ease the financial burden of England by allowing colonial governments the right to collect taxes and therefore pay for themselves

to justify the territorial division of Quebec and the creation of separate provincial legislatures

to maintain and strengthen the bonds of political dependency by repairing the weaknesses of previous colonial governments.

Upper & Lower Canada

unpopular. More power to governors-office for

life. Appointed executive council No real power to elected assemblies Appointed administrators interested

in their own affairs.

Upper Canada

Family Compact: ruling party William Lyon Mackenzie led reformers

Lower Canada

Mostly French elected members. Appointed English. Chateau Clique: ruling party Louis Joseph Papineau: led reformers

The Rebellions

See handout…

Durham Report (1839)

The Canada’s be unified and named Canada East and Canada West

Responsible government be implemented

Britain limit it’s involvement to imperial rather than local matters British did not carry out Durham’s

reforms

Act of Union (1841)

United the Canada’s: Upper and Lower = East and West

English-Official Language

Failure of the Act of Union

Canada East: PQ fight against English assimilation

Canada West: Pop increase to surpass the French.

Nova Scotia

Feb. 2, 1848-Nova Scotia

”Responsible Government”

Cabinet (executive branch) is selected by elected representatives.

Makes decisions: responsible to the government.

Great Coalition

June 1864 George Brown: unite all British NA

colonies John A. MacDonald George-Etienne Cartier

Maritime Union

Strengthen political power in British Empire.

NS √ NB √ PEI X

Charlottetown Conference

September 1, 1864. Union of Maritime colonies discussed Great Coalition wanted larger union Maritime colonies put aside the idea

of their own union until Quebec 1864.

Quebec Conference

October 1864. Central government-stronger than the

provinces. Seventy-Two Resolutions: plan for

partnership of the colonies.

Opposition to Confederation

Canada’s √ Atlantic Colonies X: Afraid of being

controlled by the Canada’s. PEI & NFLD X

London Conference

March 1867 BNA Act passed into law. Official: July 1, 1867 Canada become a constitutional

monarchy.

BNA Act Canada’s first written constitution Similar in principle to United Kingdom System of principles according to which a

nation, state, or group is governed Combined British Parliamentary system

with American Federalist structure (divided power between centralized government and several smaller regional governments