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Period: to
Confederation
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The Repeal of Corn Laws
~The Corn Laws were British laws that supervised the imports and exports of grain. Corn meant ceral grains in Britain.
~These laws kept the price of imported grains high.
~When, in the 1850s, Britain chaged to a free trade system, BNA producers had soon lost their price advantage over the American producers. This lead to the signing of the Reciprocity Treaty. -
Mercantilism
~ The colonies of British North America now had been given a special protective trading staus, which meant lower Tariffs on their, when many of their goods where exported, and entered into Britain.
~These lower prices persuaded many more British manufacturers to buy the raw goods from BNA colonies instead of from other countries.
~ BNA colonies bought manufactured goods from Britain in return. The lower tariffs allowed the colonies to become successful in exporting their raw goods. -
The Signing of the Reciprocity Treaty
~British North America and the United States signed the Reciprocity Treaty.
~ This treaty allowed a returned reduction of tariffs, a free trade on natural goods between the U.S and the BNA.
~ Consequently, the amount of exports grew, and the colonies seemed to successfully have a market ofr their products. -
The Gold Rush on the Lower Fraser River
~ Gold was found while the Sto:lo people were mining in it . It was traded to the HBC forts.
~News spread, and soon Americans from California were mining in this river for riches.
~Eventually, the Fraser River attracted about 30 000 more people who mined for gold as riches. The area was soon claimed and many miners moved up North. -
Threat of U.S Expansion:
~ Manifest Destiny:The U.S burst into Civil War, North (the Union) vs.the South (the Conferderacy),in argument over whether U.S slavery should be legal. After the Civil war, the BNA colonies had a feeling the Union would invade
~Fenians:The Fenian Botherhood, an Irish Organization, rebelled for independence from Britain in the U.S. They thought, by hurting the U.S & BNA colonies, they'd also hurt the British. The colonies of BNA were worried they'd invade
~Caused BNA to consider joining colonies -
The Charlottetown Conference
~ On this day, the Maritime colonies held a meeting to discuss the idea of joining together in union. Although the Canadas weren't a Maritime province, they managed to get invited. Represntatives from P.E.I, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and the Canadas met.
~ The Canadians however, including John A. Macdonald, encouraged the Maritimers to give up this union of theirs and consider joining union with them.
~ The Maritimers decided to support the idea of union with the Canadas and to meet again. -
The Quebec Conference
~This is the second conference held in Quebec City, including representatives from Newfoundland attended. At the Charlottetown Conference, they agreed to the idea of joining colonies, but not the details of how it would happen.
~ This meeting went on for three weeks as they'd worked out rule for sharing power in this new country.
~They agreed to a Federal government, each level of govenment was responsible for different areas, equal representation, a balance of elected & appointed in parliment. -
The London Conference
~ Representatives of the Canadas, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia travelled to London England. Newfoundland didn't join them on their discussions.
~ The representatives participated in a conference with British Officials about future of this union. Agreement came easily as Canada became Britain's first "slef-governing Dominion".
~ Canada now had control over its own matters within its country, but Britain was still responsible for any changes to the structure of Canada after request at Parliment -
The Singing of the British North American Act
~ The signing of this treaty created the Canada, as it declared that the powers of the provincial and federal governments would form the way the government would be and would promise security for all minor groups in the counrty.
~ The rules of this act were the first to help for this new counrty.
~ The Act stated that there would be a parliament for the whole country, English & French would be the two main languages, a equal representation of population & representatives, elected and appointed. -
The Start of Confederation
~ This is the date when the British North American colonies,Canada West, Canada East, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia agreed to join together in Confederation.
~ They joined as four provinces, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. Together they created the Dominion of Canada.
~This power they now had turned over to a more powerful govenment, Canada's federal government.
