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British Conquest of New France
This victory marked the end of the Seven Years' War in North America. The British aimed to grow their colonies and reduce French power in the area. This situation changed the political scene in North America, paving the way for British control and eventually contributing to the establishment of a Canadian state led by the British. It also brought about the difficulty of managing a significant French-speaking Catholic community under British governance. -
Royal Proclamation
After King George III gained control of French territories, he had to figure out how to manage these new areas. The proclamation was meant to sort out Britain's larger North American empire, define limits for colonial growth, and set guidelines for interacting with Indigenous peoples. This document was important as it created a foundation for how these lands would be governed and influenced relationships between the British and Indigenous communities for many years ahead. -
Quebec Act
The British government saw that it was important to support the French-speaking people in Quebec in order to keep them loyal, especially with the rising tensions in the Thirteen Colonies. They passed an Act that ensured freedom of religion for Catholics, permitted the use of French civil law together with English criminal law, and increased the size of Quebec. -
Constitutional Act
The goal of this act was to ease the increasing strain between the French and English-speaking communities in Quebec, especially after many Loyalists moved to the area following the American Revolution. The British decided to split Quebec into Upper Canada, mainly for English speakers, and Lower Canada, mostly for French speakers. -
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Rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada
The rebellions happened because people were frustrated with the colonial government for a long time. In Lower Canada, French-Canadian patriots, headed by Louis-Joseph Papineau, wanted to defend their culture and gain more political influence. Meanwhile, in Upper Canada, reformers led by William Lyon Mackenzie were calling for a government that was accountable and wanted to put an end to the Family Compact's control. -
The Durham Report
After the rebellions, the British government appointed Lord Durham to look into what caused them and to suggest ways to address the issues. His report provided a thorough look at the political climate in British North America. One of his key suggestions was to combine Upper and Lower Canada to help integrate the French-Canadians and to establish a more accountable form of government. -
Act of Union
This law came about because of what Lord Durham suggested. It brought together Upper and Lower Canada to form one Province of Canada, with the goal of establishing a single legislature that would ideally represent both French and English interests. The British government believed this would help break the political standstill between the two areas and help French-Canadians adapt to British ways. -
Responsible Government
The idea of responsible government came about because people had been asking for more say in how colonial matters were handled for a long time. This meant that instead of the British-appointed governor, the executive council, or cabinet, would answer to the elected assembly. It was a big move towards self-rule, giving colonists the chance to handle their own affairs while still being part of the British Empire. -
Reciprocity Treaty
The agreement for free trade between British North America and the United States aimed to encourage economic growth in the colonies while strengthening their relationship with the U.S. It made it easier for natural resources to flow freely and was especially helpful for Canadian farmers and fishermen. This treaty showed how the economies of BNA and the U.S. were connected. -
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American Civil War
Even though the American Civil War wasn't a Canadian event, it had a big impact on British North America. People worried about the possibility of American forces moving up north, especially since the Union had a strong, experienced army after the war. This outside threat made many support the idea of uniting as a way to defend against possible American moves. -
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Charlottetown Conference
At first, the main purpose of this conference was to explore the idea of a Maritime Union involving New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Suddenly, representatives from the Province of Canada, which used to be known as Upper and Lower Canada, expressed their interest in joining. They suggested a bigger concept: a British North American union. -
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Quebec conference
Following the talks in Charlottetown, this conference gathered delegates to create specific resolutions for the suggested confederation. They came up with 72 Quebec Resolutions that laid out the foundation for the new nation. This included how power would be shared between the federal and provincial governments, the design of the parliament, and how finances would be handled. e. -
Canadian Legislative Assembly Debates
In the legislature of the Province of Canada, discussions about the Quebec Resolutions played a key role in getting official approval. These talks gave a chance for both supporters and critics of confederation to discuss their views. The debates were long and lively, touching on every element of the suggested union. When they ended successfully with the resolutions being approved, it was a significant step for the confederation process. -
Fenian Reids
The Fenian Brotherhood was a group of Irish-Americans who aimed to make a mark on British North America. They hoped that by launching raids, they could push Britain to leave Ireland alone by targeting its colonies across the ocean. Although these attempts didn’t succeed in a military sense, they revealed just how exposed the colonies were to outside dangers. -
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London Conference
Delegates from Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick met in London for a conference to sort out the details of confederation. They collaborated with British officials to write the British North America Act, using the Quebec Resolutions as a guide. This gathering was key in turning the general agreements made in Charlottetown and Quebec into actual legal wording.