Canadian Confederation
On July 1, 1867, a decision was made that continues to impact us all. On that day, Canadian Confederation was announced and a new country was born. At this time, Canada contained four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Three other members who were involved in the initial discussion, British Columbia, PEI and Newfoundland, choose not to change at the time and remained BNA (British North American) colonies. British Columbia would join Canada 4 years later in 1871, PEI two years after that in 1873 and Newfoundland would remain separate for over 80 years, finally joining the country in 1949.
Big Question:
What people, events, and motivations influenced the unification of Canada, and how does this affect the country we are today?
There were also several groups not given a voice in the decision of Confederation, including Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, women, and people of colour, including a large population of African-American ex-slaves.
Big Ideas:
• Individuals and groups came into the Canadian confederation with different motivations, backgrounds, and feelings
• Internal and external events and motivations changed the course of Canadian history
• Some groups were highlighted and others were marginalized in the creation of our country
What people, events, and motivations influenced the unification of Canada, and how does this affect the country we are today?
There were also several groups not given a voice in the decision of Confederation, including Canada’s Aboriginal peoples, women, and people of colour, including a large population of African-American ex-slaves.
Big Ideas:
• Individuals and groups came into the Canadian confederation with different motivations, backgrounds, and feelings
• Internal and external events and motivations changed the course of Canadian history
• Some groups were highlighted and others were marginalized in the creation of our country