The Path to Confederation

Confederation was the response of British North America (BNA) to a vast range of challenges and opportunities above and beyond the influence of the American Civil War. However, such Civil War-related incidents as the Trent Affair, the Chesapeake Incident, the St. Albans Raid, abrogation of the Reciprocity Treaty, the Alabama Claims, the Fenian War, and the ever-present Fear of Annexation all contributed to the ultimate union. The most concrete BNA steps on the path to Confederation were the Charlottetown Conference and the Quebec Conference of 1864.

The Charlottetown Conference, September 1-9, 1864

In the summer of 1864 British North America, which had been stirred up by the Chesapeake affair, was heartened by the seeming advance of the Confederacy (Sherman's march through Georgia). Influential factions in Britain and BNA were sympathetic to the Confederate cause although officially neutral. The British colonies believed that Imperial aid and the victory of the South were the best guarantees of their independence. London was in favour of BNA union. The defence of British North America and the importance of interprovincial communication and cooperation were on many leaders' minds in both Britain and the colonies. Sentiments against Confederation included the potential horrors of the breakdown of federalism as witnessed in the the Civil War to the south. French Canadians also feared union would bring loss of autonomy. In this atmosphere the Charlottetown Conference took place September 1-9.

In March-April of 1964 New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island passed resolutions that a conference take place to discuss the long-considered possibility of union of the Maritime provinces. In June the Province of Canada, to the surprise of the Maritimes, asked to attend to propose a union of all BNA. At the secret conference (all reports were banned) the prospect of Maritime union was dropped and in its place a scheme for a broader union was born. A further conference was planned for Quebec in October.

In a lively account in a letter to his wife, George Brown describes the Charlottetown Conference.

Compilation painting of the Fathers of Confederation who attended the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences. By Robert Harris.

First Row: (front -- left to right) Edward Whalen, Samuel L. Tilley, George Brown, Charles Tupper
Second Row: W.H. Steeves, John Hamilton Gray, Alexander Campbell, Hector L. Langevin, Oliver Mowat, Thomas D'Arcy McGee
Third Row: Charles Fisher, George Coles, J.C. Chapais, Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché, Alexander T. Galt, J. Cockburn, William McDougall, J. McCully
Fourth Row: W.A. Henry, E.B. Chandler, Adams G. Archibald, Georges-É. Cartier, Thomas H. Haviland, J.H. Gray, A. Macdonald
Fifth Row: Hewitt Bernard (secy.), Ambrose Shea, John A. Macdonald, Peter Mitchell, W.H. Pope, J.M. Johnson
Sixth Row: (back) E. Palmer, F.B.T. Carter, R.B. Dickey

[Source: National Library of Canada.]

The Quebec Conference, October 10-27, 1864

At the Charlottetown Conference earlier in the year, the delegates from the three Maritime provinces and Canada had resolved upon a scheme for the confederation of BNA. Attending the Quebec Conference were 33 delegates from the above provinces and Newfoundland. The purpose was to discuss and develop a detailed plan for union. The Canadian delegation set the agenda and proposed the resolutions. The biggest controversy concerned the composition of Parliament, proposed to be based on representation by population, a move strongly opposed by Prince Edward Island.

The 72 resolutions became the basis of the Confederation Debates. The resolutions were officially adopted only by the Province of Canada but became the basis of the British North America Act, which created Canada.