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The Royal Proclamation of 1763
Following the Seven Years' War, the British monarch issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763. The proclamation outlined territory and prevented westward expansion. The Royal Proclamation was important because it recognized land rights of Indigenous people. This would also outline the system of treaties that were made between the Canadian government and Indigenous peoples. -
The Quebec Act of 1774
The Quebec Act was introduced by the British to appease the French Canadiens. It recognized the rights of the French by retaining the seigneurial system, using French civil law, and retaining their language. This event was important for Canadian Confederation because it created a distinct French identity that would be instrumental in supporting the political deadlock between the British and French in the 1840s. -
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The American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War was fought between the British and American colonists who believed they were being treated unfairly by Britain. The war sent British loyalists into Canada, the majority of which chose to immigrate to the Maritimes. Overall, around 100,000 Loyalists came to Canada. This was important for Confederation because the population influx justified the need for a unionized, larger Canada. -
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The War of 1812
The War of 1812 was fought between the Americans and British Canada as a result of long-lasting political tensions. Americans had assumed that Canadians would want to be annexed by their country, but were wrong. The war resulted in a greater sense of unity between the colonies because of they all shared a common enemy, and was a good way to temporarily unify the colonies prior to Confederation. -
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The American Civil War
The American Civil War was fought between the American Union and Southern States. The British were officially neutral, but supported the Southern states economically by purchasing textiles. The American Union saw this as supporting the South, and American newspapers began to threaten Canada with annexation. Britain was not prepared for an American attack, and they knew this. Canadians were now in a rush to unionize Canada before the Americans could initiate an attack. -
Formation of the Great Coalition
The Great Coalition was formed by John A. MacDonald, George-Éttiene Cartier, and George Brown. The coalition was formed by these men in order to achieve a union between Canada. This was greatly important for Confederation because they were all willing to compromise in order to pave Canada's future. Prior to their coalition, Canadian politics was a divided, deadlocked mess. -
The Charlottetown Conference
The Charlottetown Conference was held in the Maritimes between September 1-9. The conference was being held by Maritime leaders to discuss their own unification, but the Great Coalition/s members were able to secure an invite. At the conference, leaders from the Province of Canada brought alcohol to the conference, which turned it into a large party. At Charlottetown, the Canadians were able to convince the Maritimes to join the Union. This was important in moving Confederation forwards. -
The End of Reciprocity
Following the abolishment of the Corn Laws, Canada signed a reciprocity treaty with America to establish free trade. Upon expiry of the treaty, America refused to renew their deal with Canada with the hopes that they would join the US to preserve their trade. Instead, support for a union in Canada grew because of the economic opportunity that it could provide. -
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The Fenian Raids
The Fenian Raids were a series of attacks against British North America by Irish-American immigrants. The Fenians attacked Canada because they wanted the British to give up their control over Ireland. The raids were mostly uneventful, but they still caused important change. Reforms in the Canadian militia took place following the raids, but more importantly, Canadians changed their mindset. The Fenians proved that Canada needed a common defense and swayed public opinion towards unifying. -
The British North American Act
The British North American Act officially united Canada's colonies, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into a single dominion under the name of Canada. The signing of the British North American Act officially ended the Canadian conquest for unification and finally settled the political deadlock that prevented Canadian growth.