The Confederation Of Canada

The Confederation of Canada

Canada is a strong and independent country made up of thirteen unique provinces and territories. However, it took great efforts for Canada to become the united nation it is today. The British colonies were facing many problems. One solution for these issues was for the colonies to come together and form one county or nation. There were a number of different factors that pushed the colonies of British North America towards confederation. Due to political deadlock, economic challenges and pressure from the United States, confederation was absolutely necessary for the well-being and progress of Canada.

The first major factor of confederation was political deadlock. Political deadlock is a situation in which government

In order for the colonies to do well economically, they needed to be able to sell their goods to other markets. At this time, due to trade barriers between colonies, there were very few places that they could sell to. The Province of Canada was thrown into a period of economic decline. Some Canadians started to think in terms of a continental rather than a colonial trade system. They began to believe that they should manufacture their own products and find markets for these products within the colonies of British North America. By bringing the colonies together, they would be able to sell their goods to each other more easily. People quickly realized that if trade between colonies was now an option, a railway would have to be built to connect the East to the West. It was believed that the building of a railway would open up new settlement opportunities and establish a stronger British presence in the West. The independent colonies began to further consider a future together because of the opportunities a railway would provide. Another major economic challenge pushing the colonies towards Confederation was the end of reciprocity with the United States. British North American colonies and the United States agreed to a Reciprocity Treaty that allowed for free trade on products such as timber, grain, coal, livestock and fish. In the years to

First of all, the American Civil War increased American – British tensions due to Britain's lack of complete neutrality. Britain also sided with the South which greatly angered the United States. However, the main concern was the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. It was a belief that the United States was destined, by God, to control all of the continent. The outbreak of the American Civil War strengthened the sense of this concept. America wanted to now turn its attention to British North America. Although it never occurred, Manifest Destiny was always on the minds of many people living in British North America and put them in fear. Another American problem that threatened British North America was the Fenian raids. A group of Irishmen formed a brotherhood, called the Fenians, in the United States to promote the liberation of Ireland from British control. The Fenians believed that if they could capture some British North American colonies, they could hold them ransom in return for Ireland's freedom. The Fenian raids helped promote a desire for a union among the British North American colonies. They began to believe they needed a united defence, which they could receive by joining together as a united nation. Confederation most definitely protected Canada from the United States. If the colonies were not joined, there was still the possibility present