Period of Industrialization (1850-1860)
 Between 1840 and 1860 the province of Canada underwent significant industrialization.
 What is Industrialization?
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To build and operate factories and other mechanized businesses in a given city or
region.
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In other words more Technology and Jobs
Factors that lead to Industrialization
 Factories began to open around this time.
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Britain had begun modernizing earlier.
 The steam engine and technological improvements allowed for the production of goods more
rapidly and efficiently.
 Population begins to rise rapidly as people start moving to the cities in order to find work in the
factories.
 Population of Montreal grew by 55%, reaching 80 000 by the early 1860s.
The 1850s
 The 1850s began well for the Province of Canada.
 In 1852, the Grand Trunk Railroad was built joining Montreal and Toronto. It was later expanded
to the east.
 This railroad aided in the industrialization of the Province of Canada
 Furthermore, the British colonies agreed to jointly fund the building of new canals.
 After the removal of the Protectionist policies of Britain known as the Corn Laws, the Province of
Canada had to find a new trading partner.
 They looked to the south.
The Reciprocity Treaty 1854
 In 1854, on behalf of Canada, Britain signs the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States.
 The Reciprocity Treaty was a free trade agreement with the US.
 The Reciprocity Treaty 1854
 This was very significant for Canadian manufacturers because they now had access to the
American markets.
 Canadian Manufacturers could now sell products to the US without any tariffs.
 This leads to increased Farming and Timber exports
1854 to 1864
 Period of Fear and Political Instability
Political Instability
 Between 1854 and 1864 United Canada saw 10 different minority governments.
 The Reform Party alliance collapses.
 A number of radical parties sprang up proposing big changes in an attempt to gain power.
 Several parties were established:
 Parti Rouge: Led by Antoine Aime Dorion
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Advocated for Canada East to be a French province
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Abolition of the Tithes
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Church controlled education
 The “Clear Grits” led by George Brown.
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He wanted to annex the territory controlled by the Hudson’s Bay Company
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The governor and Legislative council to be elected.
 Proportional Representation
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A.k.a: “Rep by Pop”
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The larger the Population the more seats it gets.
 The Liberal-Conservative Party led by John A. Macdonald (West) and George-Étienne Cartier
(East)
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They were known as “les Bleus”.
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They worked to limit the power of the more radical parties.
Financial Issues
 Along with political instability there was also financial uncertainty.
 In the early 1860s, the United States announced that they would not be renewing the
Reciprocity Treaty.
 This was bad for the Canadian economy because they lost their biggest trading partner.
Military Issues
 In the 1860s, a number of military issues made many in the colonies quite nervous.
 1) American Civil War 1861-1865
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When the war ended the North had over 400 000 well trained and well armed soldiers.
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Those in the colonies were afraid that the US would use those soldiers to invade.
 2) These fears were legitimate because of an American idea known as “Manifest Destiny”
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It was the Americans’ destiny as chosen by God to control all of North America.
 Towards Confederation
 In order to solve these Military, Financial and political problems an important solution was
proposed.
 The Solution...forming a federation.
Towards Confederation
 Forming a federation would cause an increase in the population.
 New Brunswick: 267,047
 Nova Scotia: 355,857
 Canada East: 1 112 000
 Canada West: 1 396 000
 This larger population would help stabilize the political situation by breaking the deadlock.
 The financial situation would also benefit because this would give manufacturers a larger
domestic market.
 The military problems would also improve because it would allow for a larger potential pool of
soldiers to help defend the country.
The Charlottetown Conference
 In September 1864, delegates from the 4 British colonies (United Canada, New Brunswick, Nova
Scotia, Prince Edward Island)met to discuss the possibility of a federation.
 Some of the benefits of Confederation were discussed but the only important thing that was
accomplished was that the delegates agreed to have another meeting one month later.
The Quebec Conference
 October 1864
 This meeting was more productive.
 The main disagreement was over having a strong central government or a more provincially
oriented one.
 They eventually agreed on all the issues and published the “72 Resolutions”
The 72 Resolutions
 Some of the more important issues that were addressed in The 72 Resolutions were:
 1) The federal union would have a strong central government.
 2) A railroad connecting all the major cities must be built. This railroad was called “the
Intercolonial Railway”
 3) Representation by Population (Rep by Pop) was to be adopted.
 Reactions to the 72 Resolutions
 In Canada East, George Etienne Cartier was responsible for convincing the colony to accept the
terms and agree to join the federation.
 Dorion and the Parti Rouges were opposed to this idea.
 They did not like it because they felt that Rep by Pop would hurt French-Canadians because they
were already a minority.
 Although some were opposed to the idea, on March 10 1865 the 72 resolutions were accepted
by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada.
London Conference 1866
 Delegates from the four provinces who agreed with the “72 Resolutions” travelled to London in
order to negotiate an agreement with the British crown.
 An agreement was reached, the resulting document and agreement was called The British North
America Act.
 The BNA Act became the new Canadian Constitution.
 The BNA Act would go into effect on July 1st 1867. (This is why we celebrate Canada Day)
 This act created the Dominion of Canada.
The Dominion of Canada 1867
 The BNA Act did not make Canada a sovereign nation.
 It remained a British Colony. The Queen was still the legal Ruler of Canada and remains the head
of state even to this day.
 As a dominion Canada had more power than a colony but not complete power.
 It had what is known as Internal Autonomy. It could pass laws within its borders but could not
sign foreign treaties. Britain still controlled this aspect.
 The BNA Act created the Dominion of Canada and divided the powers between 2 levels of
government.
 Federal Government:
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Criminal Law
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3 Ms (Money, Mail, Military)
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Trade
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Contingency Powers
 Provincial Government:
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Civil Law
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Social Services
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Taxes
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Education
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Immigration (Quebec)
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Agriculture
Political System
 The Political system created by the BNA Act is a Constitutional Monarchy.
 Who is the Head of State in Canada?
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Queen Elizabeth
 She is represented in Canada by the Governor General. (David Johnston)
 The Governor General does not have any real power.
 The Gov. Gen. does have the power to call elections, only on the urging of the prime minister.
 How does this system work?
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People vote for a representative who will sit in the House of Commons in Parliament.
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The party that is able to get the most representatives elected forms the government.
 The Prime Minister is leader of the party forming the government.
 The House of Commons passes laws.
 when a majority of the Members of Parliament vote to pass a law it is sent before the Governor
General for royal assent.
 The Governor General must approve the law.
Expansion of Canada
 Within 6 years of confederation 3 additional colonies joined the Dominion of Canada.
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1870: Manitoba
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1871: British Columbia
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Agreed to join on the promise that a railroad be built connecting BC to the rest
of Canada.
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1873: Prince Edward Island
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Agreed to join if the Government set up a ferry service from the mainland to the
island as well as building a railroad on the island.
 Manitoba
 Before Confederation much of the land in the west belonged to the Hudson’s Bay Company.
 In 1869, Canada purchased this land.
 For only 1.5 million Dollars!!!
 When the Federal Government bought the land from the HBC they did not take into account the
people that lived on the land.
 There were many native groups that lived on that territory including approximately 10000
Métis.
 Métis
 This group is consider an interracial or mixed race.
 They are the children of Native women and European Men.
 The Métis were French speaking Catholics.
 The Métis became angry with the federal government, when it began giving Métis land to
settlers moving west.
 The Métis Were led by Louis Riel.
 Louis Riel
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Métis
 Leads a rebellion against the Canadian government and Prime Minister John A Macdonald
known as the “Red River Rebellion”(1869-1870)
 This rebellion serves as an important event that leads to Manitoba joining confederation.
 After The Red River Rebellion Louis Riel is exiled to the United States.
 He returns to Canada for a short time throughout the 1870s most notably to receive Psychiatric
treatment in Montreal.
 He returns to Canada for good in 1885. He again tried to launch a rebellion against the federal
government.
 The Northwest Rebellion 1885.
 Riel arrived in what is present day Saskatchewan and convinced a couple hundred Métis to rebel
against the Government.
 The Rebellion was squashed by the Canadian Militia.
 He was captured by the Militia.
 He was tried and found guilty of High Treason.
 He was sentenced to death.
 On November 16 1885 Riel was hung.
 At relatively the same time (1870s) Natives in the West began to experience a very difficult time.
 Over-hunting of the Bison (commonly referred to as Buffalo) caused prairie Natives to lose there
primary food source.
 Natives were also getting decimated by disease as a result of contact with Europeans
 Displacement.
 As a result of all this misfortune that was coming to the Natives of the West, these groups had
little choice but to give up any land rights they had to the Federal Government.
 The Federal Government passed The Indian Act in 1876.
 The Indian Act places natives under the responsibility of the federal Government.
 In exchange for giving up their land the government agreed to give the Natives money, food and
land that would be exclusively for natives called Reserves.
 The Goal of this was Assimilation of the Natives.