History 2201E Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Manifest Destiny, Upper House, American Civil War
2 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
November 14th, 2017
Confederation: Part 1
Background
1. Politics
- 1854-1864:10 different government changes
o no political stability
o sidetracked the growth of Canada
- 1860: union structure problematic
- Union of the Canadas: structure, political parties, alliances, sectional differences, goals,
relationship between government and business
- Canada East: Bleus & George Etienne Cartier, Rouges and A.A. Dorion
- Canada West: conservative and John A Macdonald, Liberal and George Brown
o Great differences between the two provinces
o 42 seats each for Canada west and Canada east
- none of these political parties could form a political majority
o always a stalemate of some sort
▪ led to deadlock; no one can move, and no one can win
- confederation was seen as a solution to deadlock
o not embraced because of money
o no one region wanted to spend money on the other side
- Other ideas:
o dissolve the union Canada all together
▪ French-Canadian nationalists
▪ The survival of French language and French culture
o Representation by population
▪ Championed by the liberal in Canada west
▪ popular for Anglo-Canadians
▪ Had a greater population than Canada east
o A federation
▪ Decentralized government
▪ Local control over local affairs
▪ A double majority vote: have the support of a majority of populations in
the assembly on any issue
- 1850s: Canada west was industrializing
o railways hit Canada west
o becoming urbanized
- Railways
o Shipping goods
o Creates jobs
o Spreading information
▪ Brings communities closer together
▪ Sarnia-Windsor railway line
• Regional distinctiveness
- Voluntarism (Canada West)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
o Separation of church and state
- Canada east
o Focus on the survival of French culture and French language
o Largely rural still
o Mostly roman Catholics
o Small c values
o A religious manifest destiny: keep roman Catholicism as borin
2. Economics (all led to confederation)
- Commercial empire of the St. Lawrence
o Americans building the Eire canal
o Took away the traffic from British north America
o Grant trunk railway
▪ Capitalize on the canal building
▪ All weather route from Sarnia to Quebec and Portland
▪ Economic benefits for Canada east and Canada west
• Need money from a country to raise n=enough capital to re
- Railways
o Drove confederation, railway media 1850s
o Material progress
o Wants to link Canada West to Canada East
▪ Need money and cooperation of both parties involved
o No confederation without a railroad
- Trade considerations
o Loss of trading relations with America and Britain
o Deals for a 10 year period: American government cancelled their reciprocity
treaty
o Any goods going to Britain would not have surcharge or tariff
Names and Terms: representation by population (‘rep by pop’); Grand Trunk Railway – Sarnia-
Quebec-Portland, ME; voluntarism; Edward Watkins; Reciprocity Treaty
Chronology
1. Character and Circumstances
i Themes
- No strong confederation
- An elitist schemes: benefit the elite’s interests
o No minorities, women, working-class and natives
2. Great Coalition of 1864: Brown, Macdonald, Cartier
- Builds on Baldwin-Lafontaine
- George brown: No longer anti-British
o Starts conversation of confederation of Canada
o Party was Anti-British
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
1854-1864:10 different government changes: no political stability, sidetracked the growth of canada. Union of the canadas: structure, political parties, alliances, sectional differences, goals, relationship between government and business. Canada east: bleus & george etienne cartier, rouges and a. a. dorion. Canada west: conservative and john a macdonald, liberal and george brown: great differences between the two provinces, 42 seats each for canada west and canada east. 1850s: canada west was industrializing the assembly on any issue: railways hit canada west, becoming urbanized. Railways: shipping goods, creates jobs, spreading information, brings communities closer together, sarnia-windsor railway line, regional distinctiveness. Voluntarism (canada west: separation of church and state. Canada east: focus on the survival of french culture and french language, largely rural still, mostly roman catholics, small c values, a religious manifest destiny: keep roman catholicism as borin, economics (all led to confederation)
