1. Confederation Foreign Influences

2. American & British Influence
American Threats (Civil War, Fenian Raids)
Reciprocity Treaty
Annexation
British
Changing Attitudes

3. Civil War During the Civil War Britain supported the South
Keep cotton prices low
Concern in Colonies of British North America that the U.S. would attack in retaliation
Confederation
Uniting would make the colonies stronger
U.S. Would be much less likely to attack an independent nation

4. Fenian Raids Fenians 3 Raids in B.N.A
Irish Catholics who had emigrated the U.S.
Still held a grudge against Britain and wanted to fight against the British in whatever way they could
3 Raids in B.N.A
New Brunswick (April 1866)
Niagara (June 1866)
Lake Champlain June 1866)
Raids caused realization of how vulnerable the B.N.A. Colonies were

5. Reciprocity Treaty (1854)
Enabled free trade of goods between B.N.A colonies and America
Set to expire in 1866
Americans didn’t feel it benefited them
Colonists worried about losing access to American markets
Fear of negative affect on the economy
Federal Union would encourage trade between provinces

6. Annexation America expanding to the west
Oregon Treaty 1846
Strong belief of Americans it was their destiny to control all of North America
Fear in B.N.A that U.S. Would annex land to the west of Canada and eventually all of the colonies
Federal Union would enable western expansion
Annex lands to the west

7. Changing British Attitudes
Encouraged Confederation because
Expensive to defend BNA colonies
United BNA colonies could defend themselves
Expensive to pay for governing of the colonies