1. The Road to Confederation History & Politics

2. Democracy in England  Magna Carta (1215 - The Great Charter of English liberty) Rule of Law: No person was above the law.  Ended the Divine Right of Kings  English Parliament by 1500’s Approve new taxes Pass laws Advise monarchy on public matters

3. British Colonies  1620-Pilgrims come to Plymouth, New England to avoid religious persecution  “Mayflower Compact”- white, male, landowners could vote in representatives and a colonial governor.  Not disputed by the British as there were too many problems in the Mother Country (England).

4. John Locke (1632-1704)  British Philosopher-challenged Divine Rights of Kings.  Proponent of “natural rights”-life, liberty, property.  People have the right to support or overthrow their government.

5. Quebec Act (1774)  enlarged the boundaries of Quebec, which included the Indian territory south of the Great Lakes between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers on the west.  an elected assembly was not provided.  Religious freedom was guaranteed for the colony's Roman Catholic majority, and a simplified Test Oath, which omitted references to religion, enabled them to enter public office conscientiously  established French civil law and British criminal law.

6. Quebec Act: 2 Views  View #1: an attempt to rectify some of the problems created by the ROYAL PROCLAMATION OF 1763, which: dramatically reduced the size of New France provided an untouchable Indian territory out of the vast western interior promised an elected assembly.  Views #2: an attempt to deal more fairly with the colony's French Catholics, perhaps to ensure their loyalty in the event of troubles with the American colonies

7. An end to the Act…  became less effective when Loyalists (British colonists living in the American territories who supported the British cause during the American Revolution) began arriving in the colony after 1783.  It was eventually replaced by the Constitutional Act (1791), which created UPPER CANADA and LOWER CANADA.

8. Constitutional Act (1791)  Act of British Parliament that created “Upper” and “Lower” Canada.  to "assimilate" each colony's constitution to that of Britain.  ensure British Parliamentary institutions in all territories.

9. Goals of the Constitutional Act:  guarantee equal rights and privileges of all loyal subjects in North America  ease the financial burden of England by allowing colonial governments the right to collect taxes and therefore pay for themselves  to justify the territorial division of Quebec and the creation of separate provincial legislatures  to maintain and strengthen the bonds of political dependency by repairing the weaknesses of previous colonial governments.

10. Upper & Lower Canada  unpopular.  More power to governors-office for life.  Appointed executive council  No real power to elected assemblies  Appointed administrators interested in their own affairs.

11. Upper Canada  Family Compact: ruling party  William Lyon Mackenzie led reformers

12. Lower Canada  Mostly French elected members.  Appointed English.  Chateau Clique: ruling party  Louis Joseph Papineau: led reformers

13. The Rebellions  See handout…

14. Durham Report (1839)  The Canada’s be unified and named Canada East and Canada West  Responsible government be implemented  Britain limit it’s involvement to imperial rather than local matters British did not carry out Durham’s reforms

15. Act of Union (1841)  United the Canada’s: Upper and Lower = East and West  English-Official Language

16. Failure of the Act of Union  Canada East: PQ fight against English assimilation  Canada West: Pop increase to surpass the French.

17. Nova Scotia  Feb. 2, 1848-Nova Scotia ”Responsible Government”  Cabinet (executive branch) is selected by elected representatives.  Makes decisions: responsible to the government.

18. Great Coalition  June 1864  George Brown: unite all British NA colonies  John A. MacDonald  George-Etienne Cartier

19. Maritime Union  Strengthen political power in British Empire.  NS √  NB √  PEI X

20. Charlottetown Conference  September 1, 1864.  Union of Maritime colonies discussed  Great Coalition wanted larger union  Maritime colonies put aside the idea of their own union until Quebec 1864.

21. Quebec Conference  October 1864.  Central government-stronger than the provinces.  Seventy-Two Resolutions: plan for partnership of the colonies.

22. Opposition to Confederation  Canada’s √  Atlantic Colonies X: Afraid of being controlled by the Canada’s.  PEI & NFLD X

23. London Conference  March 1867  BNA Act passed into law.  Official: July 1, 1867  Canada become a constitutional monarchy.

24. BNA Act  Canada’s first written constitution  Similar in principle to United Kingdom  System of principles according to which a nation, state, or group is governed  Combined British Parliamentary system with American Federalist structure (divided power between centralized government and several smaller regional governments