Before 1867, the British North American colonies were largely separate entities, with citizens owing allegiance to Britain. As Confederation was proposed, the colonies would only agree to join if the terms benefited them individually, prioritizing local interests over an ideal national union. A series of conferences were held in the 1860s to negotiate the terms of Confederation after the colonies faced threats from the United States, ultimately resulting in the British North America Act that united most of the colonies as the Dominion of Canada in 1867.
2. Towards Confederation
• Before 1867, with the exception of Canada East and
Canada West, the colonies of British North America
were completely separate
• Citizens of each colony were British subjects, and
Britain was responsible for their well-being and
defence
• Colonies were only interested in Confederation if
they received favourable terms
3. “Deal,” not “Ideal”
• When Confederation was proposed, the colonies
wanted to know how the deal would benefit them
• Although Macdonald favoured a strong national
government with limited powers for the provinces,
very few colonial politicians agreed with this idea
• People who lived outside central Canada were not
excited about the idea of being ruled by a
government in central Canada
