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Ottawa becomes the capital city (1857)
In 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to choose a common capital for the province of Canada (modern Quebec and Ontario). At the time, Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec had all been vying to be chosen so it was seen as a strange decision when the Queen ultimately chose Ottawa. -
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The Fenian Raids (1866-1871)
After the American Civil War, the Fenian Brotherhood, an organization that was mostly made up of Irish-American veterans, attempted to attain Ireland’s independence from the British by seizing Canada from their grasp and basically holding the Province of Canada as a hostage. Between 1866 and 1871, they sought to raid Canadian territories from New Brunswick to Manitoba. Other than the Ridgeway Battle in 1866, all Fenian raids ended in failure and the movement collapsed after 1871. -
Confederation is formed (1867)
On July 1st, 1867, the British North America Act was signed, Confederation was won, and Canada became a nation. Starting with the threat of an American takeover to the trouble with trade to the Fenian Raids, many factors were considered when the thoughts of uniting together came into play. Nevertheless, the votes from Canada West, Canada East, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia were in favour of confederation and the first of July in 1867 marked the birth of a nation, Canada. -
The Death of Thomas D'Arcy McGee (1868)
Thomas D’Arcy McGee was a Canadian politician of Irish descent and was known for being one of the Founding Fathers of Confederation. McGee was notable for being a brilliant speaker and was one of the strongest supporters of the Confederation. But things went wrong for McGee when he spoke out against the Fenian Brotherhood and Movement and on April 7, 1868 at age 42, Thomas D’Arcy McGee was assassinated by Patrick James Whelan, who was thought to have been acquainted with the Fenians. -
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The Red River Rebellion
The Métis of the Red River settlement (near present-day Winnipeg, Manitoba), led by Louis Riel, established a provisional government to negotiate with the Canadian government but the negotiations collapsed. Riel led the Red River Rebellion in 1869 and 1870. After a severe punishment for a fellow Irishman, Macdonald sent the militia to put down the rebellion, which they quickly did, and Riel fled to the United States. Many of the Métis moved west into unsettled areas of Saskatchewan. -
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The Canadian Pacific Railway (1881-1885)
In 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway company was incorporated. Its original purpose was to construct a transcontinental railway, a promise to British Columbia given if they entered Confederation. British Columbia did end up joining the Confederation and the promise had to be fulfilled; a railway that connected Canada from the west coast to the east coast. The railway, which was eventually completed in 1885, played an important part in the development of our nation.
