Pre-Confederation

Establishment of Resposible Government

Mar 31, 1839

Lord Dunham's report sugests establishment of a resposible goverment.

Upper and Lower Canada united into the Province of Canada

Mar 24, 1841

Canada East and West were given and equal number of seats in the Assembly or Parliament. There were 2 main political groups. One was the Conservatives or Tories. The other was the Reform party or Clear Grits.

The Assembly

Mar 26, 1841

The Assembly met in Kingston, Quebec City, Montreal, and Toronto.

Aroostook War Ends

Mar 31, 1842

The Webster-Ashburton treaty ends the Aroostook War settling the Newbrunswick-Maine boarder dispute

Riots Occured in Montreal

Mar 24, 1849

People in Toronto said the Montreal should not be chosen to be the capital city.

W.L. Mackenzie Returns from excile

Mar 31, 1849

William Lyon Mackenzie returns from excile in the U.S. because of the Act of Amnesty

Government of the Maritimes

Mar 31, 1849

The maritimes are brought into the plan for responsible goverment.

House of Assembly

Mar 31, 1849

The maritimes become part of the House of Assembly

Colonial Poastal System

Mar 31, 1851

The control of the colonial Poastal System is transfered to Canada

John A Macdonald was Prime Minister

Mar 24, 1857

He was one of the leaders of the Conservatives.
He decided to go to Queen Victoria to ask where the capitol should be. She said Ottawa. The Grits voted against them. Macdonald's government was defeated.

John A Macdonald's Government was defeated

Mar 27, 1857

It resigned and George Brown of the Grits became government. 2 days later, the Conservatives moved a vote of non-confidence. The Conservatives returned to power.

Capital of Canada

Mar 31, 1857

Queen Vistoria names Ottawa the Capital of the province of Canada

The Centre, East and West blocks of the Parliament Buildings were built

Mar 27, 1859

Political Deadlock

Mar 27, 1860

The government and the Opposition held about the same number of seats in the Assembly. So it became almost impossible to get any bills passed through the Assembly, or to make any new laws.

Parliment Buildings are Built

Sep 1, 1860

The foundation and cornerstone is laid

Population of Canada West was greater than Canada East

Mar 24, 1861

Before the population of Canada East was greater then Canada West. But by 1861 it was the other way around. The population of Canda West was greater than Canda East.

4 governments resigned and there were 2 general elections in Canada

Mar 24, 1861

Macdonald talked about retiring from politics, but the Conservatives begged him to saty and he agreed.

Premier of Nova Scotia

Mar 31, 1861

Howe becomes the Premier of Nova Scotia

A Coalition Government

Mar 27, 1864

George Brown suggested that the answer to political government was a coalition government. (Coalition= the joining of different political parties into one government in the time of an emergency.) Members of all parties agreed and the deadlock was broken.

Charlottetown Conferance

Mar 31, 1864

Orginaly the Charlottetown Conferance was to discuss the Maritimes. Instead the conferance took the first steps to confederation.

Macdonald's government was defeated by 2 votes

Jun 14, 1864

the assembly met for the first time

Mar 24, 1866

London Conferance

Dec 4, 1866

Resolutions are passed which redraft the British North America Act during the London Conferance

Confederation

Mar 31, 1867

The Biritish North American colonies become the Dominion of Canada under the BNA Act

The Dominion of Canada was Born

Jul 1, 1867

British Columbia Joins Confederation

Mar 31, 1871

British Columbia Joins Confederation on July 20, 1871

Prince Edward Island Joins Confederation

Mar 31, 1873

Prince Edward Island joins Confederation

Canada's Second Priminister

Mar 31, 1873

Alexander MacKenzie becomes Canada's second priminister

The Supreme Court

Mar 31, 1875

The Supreme Court is created