WHY BOTHER? Factors for Confederation

Shape of the Class  Admin  Current events  Why bother?  Group research  Factors for Confederation  Wrap-up

“Elbow room”  What might this mean for Canada?

Group work  Move into your colony groups  You will receive a slip of paper with a factor that influenced the colonies in favour of Confederation  Using your text, explain what your factor is, how it influenced life for people in the colonies and why it would make them want to join together

Security  Fenian raids  Irish American “freedom fighters”  Furious with the British  Attacked the nearest British colony  U.S.Civil War  Britain traded with the southern states  Didn’t make the north very happy

Security  Manifest Destiny  The view held that America had the right to control all of North America  Gold Rush in BC  Americans came in huge numbers

Age of Rail  Train were the way of the future in the Victorian era  But they were expensive to build and maintain

Intercontinental railway  Would link coast to coast, providing a buffer against American settlement  Would encourage westward expansion  Link the Maritimes to central Canada’s manufacturing

Trade (with Britain)  Corn Laws  Preferential treatment for Britain and colonies  No tariffs on cereal grains  Repealed in 1846  U.S. is able to cut in and trade for much cheaper  The colonies need to find additional trade partners

Trade (with the U.S.)  Reciprocity Agreement  10 year free trade deal signed in 1854  The U.S. declines to re-sign or extend in 1865  The colonies are then forced to look for new trade partners again  Who else could they trade with?

Changing British Attitudes  Britain is less and less interested in in defending, supporting and propping up the colonies  Colonies must fend for themselves

Political deadlock  A new federal government using rep by pop would break the deadlock in Canada East and West  Is this a factor “for” or “against” confederation?  For who?