Post-Confederation

Vocabulary  Transcontinental: a railway that ran across the continent from the Atlantic to the Pacific  Martyr: someone who dies for a cause  Jurisdiction: the official power to make legal decisions and judgments  Disallowance: in Canadian politics it is the Federal Government’s right to disallow any provincial law it deems to be bad for Canada as a whole  Plank: a fundamental point of a political program or stance:

New Territories added to Canada over time  In 1867, when Canada was created it consisted of 4 provinces: Quebec Nova Scotia Ontario New Brunswick  Between 1870 and 1873 three more provinces became part of Canada  Manitoba, after the Canadian government purchased the Northwest Territories from the Hudson's Bay Company.  British Columbia, after the Canadian government promised it would build a transcontinental railroad to connect it with Canada  Prince Edward Island, after financial incentives were offered by the Canadian government.

The Metis  The Metis were a people of mixed aboriginal and French descent who lived in the Northwest Territories and who engaged in hunting, trading and some agriculture.  The Metis were involved in two rebellions in Canada  One in 1870 which resulted in the creation of the province of Manitoba and another in 1885 known as the Saskatchewan Rebellion.  In both rebellions they were led by Louis Riel.

Louis Riel: Manitoba Rebellion or Red River Rebellion In 1869, the Northwest Territories(Rupert’s Land) was to be transferred from the Hudson's Bay Company to the Canadian government The Metis, who resided along the Red River, were never consulted about the terms and date of the transfer. Fearful for their language, culture, religion and the possible loss of land, Riel and his followers set up a provisional (temporary) government A Bill of Rights embodying the people's demands was also drafted

Results  The Canadian government sent its negotiators and on May 12, 1870 the federal government passed the Manitoba Act creating the province of Manitoba.  French and English were to be the official languages in Manitoba's legislature and Catholic and Protestant schools were to be maintained.  This promise will be broken in the Manitoba Schools Question later in the course

The Saskatchewan or Northwest Rebellion  In 1885, Riel came back from the USA to lead an armed rebellion against the federal government.  Once again both the Metis and Native populations feel threatened by the arrival of the railroad and large number of immigrants to Saskatchewan.  The rebellion however failed with the Metis defeat at Batoche and the capture of Riel.  Riel was tried in court, convicted of treason and given the death penalty.

Quebec’s Reaction to the Hanging of Louis Riel  The hanging of Riel in 1885 sparked protests in Quebec. The incident ignited French Canadian nationalism and divided the country.  English Canada supported the execution, however, in Quebec, Louis Riel was seen as a martyr and a victim of Protestant hatred.  Shortly afterwards, Honore Mercier was elected and became the first nationalist premier of the province.

What are federal - provincial relations ?  The relationship between federal and provincial governments began with the passage of the British North America Act in  Canada's first prime minister, John A. Macdonald, believed in a strong centralized government where the federal government would have the important powers.  However, provincial premiers such as Oliver Mowat of Ontario and Honore Mercier of Quebec became increasingly concerned about federal interference in provincial jurisdiction  The federal government found itself embroiled in problem after problem with the provinces in particularly over the disallowance of provincial laws which the federal government thought were detrimental to the welfare of the country as a whole.

Quebec’s reaction to the Federal Government  Premier Mercier of Quebec made provincial rights and autonomy an important issue in Quebec.  This is still a major issue today  In 1887, Honore Mercier invited the premiers to meet at Quebec to discuss their grievances.  This was the first of many inter-provincial conferences held in Canada's history.

National Policy 1879: Is an attempt to fix the pre-confederation economic issues Reasons for the adoption of the National Policy )to provide Canadian manufacturers with a larger domestic market for their goods (larger home market) 2) to encourage new industries in Canada (diversification of the Economy) 3) to protect Canadian industries from foreign competition (protectionism) 4) To create a national unity

The Planks of the National Policy  Protective tariffs - A policy of high tariffs or duties (taxes) on imports.  This protected domestic manufacturers since it made imports more expensive. It also stimulated industrial growth in Quebec and Ontario.  Immigration - The Canadian government encouraged the arrival of large numbers of immigrants from Europe to settle the western part of Canada and to provide a workforce for industry.  Transcontinental railway - John A. Macdonald wanted to complete the construction of a transcontinental railway in order to link British Columbia with the rest of the country, to encourage east- west trade, and to accelerate the settlement of the west.  The National Policy laid the foundation that allowed Canada to enter the Industrial Revolution