1. Canada and Quebec Before Confederation:
Factors that push Canada towards Confederation

2. Economic Problems Expensive and non-efficient railroad system
Costs a lot up maintain
Does not connect all the regions of the colony and it does not include all the big cities.
Grand Trunk Railroad

4. 1860s  United canada  problems
Economic Problems:
The Recriprocity Treaty  was not renewed by the United States in 1864
England removes the « Corn Laws »
England removes the Timber laws  does not buy as much timber from Canada

5. Politcal Problems Internal Problems
Poilitical instability: government leaders constantly changing
‘Rep by Pop’
Representatives based on population
Canada West wants this now…. bigger population

6. External Problems American Menace ‘Fenian raids’/American Civil War
American Soldiers crossing the border trying to capture British territory
U.S.A. expansion  expanding West and possibly taking North West.

7. Battle of Ridgeway- Canada West (1866)

9. “Manifest Destiny”

12. Solutions to these problems?

13. So... Several Solutions are presented Les solutions proéminents:
Better internal economy
Coalition government
Defend against the Americans
Annexation by USA

14. Important People and Political Parties 1854-1864
Party
Leader(s)
Region
Objective(s)
Parti-Rouge
Antoine-Aime Dorion
Canada East
Education system not controlled by the church
Canada East: Uniligual (French)
No more church taxes
“Clear Grits”
George Brown
Canada West
Government takes control of land owned by Hudson’s Bay Company
Non religious education system
Governor and members of assembly are elected
Liberal-Conservatives (Blues)
John A. Macdonald & Georges-Etienne Cartier
Canada East & Canada West
Keeps links with England
Central government  legislative

15. Leader: Antoine-Aime Dorion

16. Leaders: George Brown

17. Leader: John A. Macdonald

18. Leader: Georges-Etienne Cartier

22. Towards Confederation
Step 1
1864  George Brown asks John A. Macdonald & Georges-Etienne Cartier to make a coalition (team) between the ‘Clear Grits’ and the Liberal-Conservatives  The Great Coalition

23. The Great Coalition
The GreaT Coalition is the first step towards Confederation
Stops political «Deadlock »
Brown asks for three things after the coalition

24. The 3 Conditions of Brown:
The coalition should work towards a large unification of all the British North American Colonies
Canada should be founded on a « rep. by pop. » system  democratic!
That Canada expands Westward all the way in the North and all the way to the Pacific Ocean.