Confederation Won! With the first dawn of this summer morning, we hail the birthday of a new nation. A united British and America takes its place among the nations of the world. -George Brown

It is the first of July, Canada has just been made a Dominion. It will have a federal system, a House of Commons and will belong to Britain. Also created in 1867 is the British North America Act. It is based on the Seventy-Two Resolutions conceived at the Quebec Conference. It is known today as the Constitution Act. It unites New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec in the Dominion of Canada. Canada is Created!

The London Conference 16 delegates from Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia journey to London. Throughout the winter of , these fathers of confederation would work with British officials. The major issue to decide is how the new country will be governed.

Ideas From The American Model Canada will have a federal system. There will be a central government to deal with national matters but each province will have its own government to deal with local matters. The central government will be more powerful than the provincial governments.

In 1864 John A. MacDonald said; in framing the Constitution, care should be taken to avoid the mistakes and weaknesses of the United States system. Their primary error was reserving for the states all powers not given to the central government. We must reverse this…A strong central government is essential to the success of the experiment we are trying.

Ideas from the British Model The Queen will be the head of the Canadian government but she will be required to follow the advice of elected members of government. A House of Commons will be made up of representatives elected by the people. There will be representation by population. The government will be responsible to the people. Canada will have a second house of parliament called the Senate whose main function which I s to check all laws passed by the House of Commons.

A New Constitution The British North America Act was introduced in the British Parliament in Queen Victoria put her signature on the act which would come into effect on July Today the act is known as the Constitution Act of 1867.

The Division of Powers The Constitution Act of 1867 established Canada as a country A constitution also sets the rules, laws and practices for how the government will run. The Fathers of Confederation limited the powers of the provinces

Provincial Gov’t Powers *Education *Property Rights *Mines And Forests *Licensing Of Businesses *Hospitals And Asylums *Raising Money By Taxes (Such as provincial taxes) for provincial purposes *Provincial Courts And Prisons Federal Gov’t Powers *Trade *Defense *Foreign Affairs *Banks *Shipping *Fisheries *Criminal Law *Taxation *Postal Services *Aboriginal Peoples And Lands Reserved For Them

French Canadian Rights The Fathers of Confederation protected the rights of French speaking people in Quebec The French would keep their own province, language, religion, schools, and civil law English and French were to be used in parliament and in federal courts

Women And Aboriginal Peoples Women had no say in the workings of government as they didn’t have the right to vote Aboriginal peoples were not seen as independent nations. They were placed under the authority of the federal government

Ushering In A New Country Prime Minister John A. Macdonald and his government entered parliament Lord Monck, Canada's first Governor General was sworn into office The British North America act was now in effect

Naming The New Country The Toronto Globe had readers submit suggestions Macdonald embraced “Kingdom Of Canada” but Britain did not want to upset the United States. Leonard Tilley suggested “Dominion Of Canada” from a Bible verse. The Fathers Of Confederation agreed.