Grade 5 People Ch13

8/6/2019 Grade 5 People Ch13

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From Colonyto Country

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208 People and Stories of Canada to 1867 Chapter 13

T he Prince o Wales is comingto visit!For children living in 1860,this news was very exciting. In a timewhere there were no rock stars or movieidols, there were ew greater celebrities

than a prince. He was only 18. Although hisreputation as a ashion trendsetter hadntbegun, it was still a thrill to see him.

Canadian ocials had invited his mother,Queen Victoria, to come and celebrate theopening o the rst-ever bridge that spannedthe St. Lawrence River. She declined, butthought it would be a good idea to sendyoung Albert Edward, the Prince o Wales.The visit would give him a chance to

exercise his royal duties. On August 25, hewould ocially open the Victoria Bridge,and, on September 1, he would lay thecornerstone o Canadas new ParliamentBuildings in Ottawa.

Imagine what Bertie (as Prince Albert

was known) would have experienced whenhe came to Canada. He would have crossedon a ship that had steam power as well assail. Wooden-hulled ships were becomingobsolete, replaced by those with iron hulls.The Grand Banks were still ull o sh,and his rst scent o North America wouldhave been the sh warehouses that linedthe shores o St. Johns, Newoundland.He arrived there on July 23, and toured the

Maritime provinces beortravelling to Canada.

The prince met ayoung Mohawk leaderon his visit to Canada.Oronhyatekha had beenchosen by his elders tomake a short speechwelcoming the prince.

Prince Albert wasimpressed and invited

Figure 13.1 Landing of the Prince of Wales under theTriumphal Arch Erected by the Harbour Masters, at theBonsecours Wharf, Montreal, 1860

Figure 13.2 Oronhyatekh a was a Mohawk born inBrantford, educated at Oxford, and marr ied to the great-granddaughter of Joseph Brant. He was the rst Aborigina lperson in North America to rece ive a medical degree at theUniversit y of Toronto.


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From Colony to Country 20

Oronhyatekha to study at Oxord, one oEnglands most prestigious universities.

However, the royal visit came at a timewhen Aboriginal rights were at risk. In 1857,An Act to Encourage the Gradual Civilizationo Indian Tribes in Canada and to AmendLaws Respecting Indians was passed. Theact was based on the way people thoughtat the time. The government o the Provinceo Canada believed that everyone wouldbenet by adopting European values andliestyles. The act encouraged Aboriginalpeoples to give up their special rights andassimilate with the rest o society.

The Prince o Wales visited Niagara Fallsand or the rst time, the alls were lit upat night, an event that has since become atradition. He watched Charles Blondin walkover the Niagara River on a tightrope.

Prince Albert travelled some o the timeby railroad. In 1860, over 3200 kilometreso track had been laid in the British NorthAmerican colonies. The princes visitrefected the pride and hope people eltabout their homeland.

why people wanted to join togetheras a country

why some people objectedto Confederation

what roles different people playedin bringing about Confederation

how Confederation came about

As you read, think about

People from British North

America began waving

the maple leaf during

the princes visit. Soonthe maple leaf became a

favourite symbol of Canada. It adorned the

dishes the prince used, and many people

wore maple leaf pins along his parade

route. The prince planted a maple tree for

the Toronto Horticultural Society. By the

time Alexander Muir wrote The Maple Leaf

Foreverin 1867, the maple leaf was firmly

entrenched as a symbol of Canada.

know

??

didyou

Figure 13.3 On June 13, 1859, French acrobat Char lesBlondin became the rst person to cross Niagara Falls ona tightrope, 335 metres long and 49 met res above thewater. He would recreate his feat for the visit of the Princeof Wales in 1860.


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The Roots of Confederation

By the time o Prince Alberts visit, theRebellions were over, and the reorms ingovernment had been made. However, or

a number o reasons, the British colonieso North America began to think that theyshould unite in a confederation.

Events and changing attitudes in the1860s moved the idea rom talk to action.Six o them were:

1. Britains growing disinterest. Britainwas losing interest in its colonies likeCanada. Colonies cost money to govern

and deend. The British began reducingthe size o their army and navy in BritishNorth America, and they cut as manyexpenses as possible. They wanted theircolonies to be more sel-sucient.

2. New visions of the nation. Canada Westwanted to take over Ruperts Land romthe Hudsons Bay Company and open upthat territory or agriculture. Canada East

was more interested in preserving their

way o lie and their French-Canadiantraditions. Becoming two separateprovinces again meant they couldpursue their own visions.

3. The railroad. The railroad could

move people and goods long distancesaster than ever beore. Track was laidthroughout the Canadas, and couldbe linked to the Maritimes. None othe colonies could aord the railroadindividually. I they joined together,the cost could be shared among them.A connected railroad would helpthe economy grow through trade.

4. Trade agreements. The British coloniesneeded to nd new trade partners. TheReciprocity Treaty was a trade agreemenbetween British North America and theUnited States, which had been in eect

or about 10 years. It had been a goodsource o income or the British coloniesbut now it had ended. As well, Britainhad begun buying its wheat, sh, andtimber rom other sources, so i it wanteits colonies to continue to grow, they ha

Figure 13.4 Manitobah settlers house, 1862. In 1857,the government of the province of Canada sent an expedit ionto explore the route to Red River (Manitoba) and study thepotential for farming in the region.

Figure 13.5 This locomoti ve, built by the Grand TrunkRail way in 1858, showed the growing importance of therailway to trade and the economy.


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to nd new trading partners and new

trade agreements. The colonies thoughtthey could trade with each other.

5. Border problems with the U.S.A. (1).When the American Civil War brokeout, Britain remained neutral. SomeAmericans, however, started talkingabout replacing the southern states,which had withdrawn rom the UnitedStates, with northern British territory.

Even ater the war, people in BritishNorth America knew that manyAmericans were interested in ManifestDestiny, the idea that all o NorthAmerica should belong to the UnitedStates. The Americans had already

gained Texas and Louisiana, and started

moving into Red River territory. Peopleo British North America were worriedthat the Americans wanted the wholecontinent.

6. Border problems with the U.S.A. (2).The Fenians were Irish Americanswho believed that Ireland should be aseparate country rom Great Britain.They were bitter about British rule, so

began to lead raids across the borderinto the British colonies as a way toattack Britain. These raids rightened thpeople in border towns. They knew thatthey needed help to beat the Fenians.

Figure 13.6 Fenians at Battle of Ridgeway. On June 2, 1866, the Fenians, who opposed British ru le in Ireland, attackedBritish troops near Fort Erie, Canada West. This painting shows the British and Canadian forces in red. In fact, they weredressed in green, and the Fenians fought from behind a fence. The Fenians were victorious, but soon British forces ran themback to the U.S.A.


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The Great Coalition

By 1860, Britain had seven colonies in NorthAmerica: Newoundland, Prince EdwardIsland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Canada

(divided into Canada East and CanadaWest), British Columbia, and VancouverIsland. Separating the colonies was the hugeexpanse o Ruperts Land and the North-Western Territory, land the Hudsons BayCompany governed and claimed to own.

Each colony aced its own problems.No one, it seemed, was able to bring aboutunity. The governments in Canada Eastand Canada West had been at a standstill

or years. Conservative parties dominatedin the East; parties that supported reormdominated in the West. With an equalnumber o seats on each side, neither sidewas able to gain power and get anythingdone. They could not even agree on whereto put the new nations capital. QueenVictoria compromised and chose Ottawa.

In 1864, George Brown o Canada Westhad waited long enough or Conederation.He recognized that unless he worked withhis political rivals, the Conederation oBritish North American colonies wouldnever happen. In a jaw-dropping move, hestood up in the Legislature and announcedthat all the political parties must quit theirsquabbles, and join together to bring abouta union o the colonies. He proposed a GreatCoalition o all the dierent political parties

in the province o Canada. He convincedthe members o his party, the Clear Grits,to join with the Liberal-Conservativeso Canada West and the Bleus o CanadaEast to support his plan or ederalism.John A. Macdonald, leader o the Liberal-

Conservatives, and George-tienne Cartier,leader o the Bleus, agreed to his plan. In thnext ew pages, you will learn about someo the main politicians who came togetherto create the country o Canada. They are

known as the Fathers o Conederation.

The Fathers of Confederation

John A. MacdonaldLeader of the Liberal-

Conservative Party from

Canada West/Ontario

John A. Macdonald was

born in Scotland in 1815,and settled in Kingstonwith his amily when hewas ve years old. Hisather was a dreamer and a drinker. Theamily oten had money problems, and hisather always came up with a new scheme tget out o debt. It rarely worked. Macdonaldwas unable to get the money to go to university, but he studied with a lawyer. Because ohis skill and ambition, he was managing twolaw oces by the time he was 19.

He was elected to government as aLiberal-Conservative in 1854 (it would laterbecome the Conservative Party). Althoughhis law practice was protable and wouldhave made him a lot o money, Macdonaldliked politics. He was a great storyteller,quick witted, and ull o jokes. He also

liked a good party and was known or histendency to drink too much. He becameCanadas rst prime minister ater Coned-eration, and believed that Canada shouldextend west as ar as the Pacic Ocean. Hestayed in politics until his death in 1891.

Figure 13.7


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George BrownLeader of the Clear Grit Party from Canada

West/Ontario

Some people say that it wasGeorge Browns wie whomade the dierence. Beorehe married, he was seenas a rebrand, an angryman who would never backdown or compromise. Twoyears ater his marriage,he brought about the

Great Coalition. George Brown was born inScotland, immigrated to the United States,and then came to Canada because he ound

Toronto the most exciting city he had visitedin all his travels. He joined the Clear GritParty (which later became the Liberal Partyand began publishing the Globe, which woullater become the Globe and Mailnewspaper

Figure 13.9 BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, 1860. Bri tains seven colonie s: Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, New Bruns wick ,Nova Scotia, Canada, British Columbia, and Vancouver Island

Figure 13.8

Hugh John Macdonald, Sir

John A.s son, moved to

Winnipeg in 1882. He set

up a law practice. In 1899,

Hugh John became premier

of Manitoba. The Dalnavert Museum in

Winnipeg was once Hugh Johns home, and

shows what life was like for the Macdonald

family at the beginning of the 20th century.

know ?

?didyou


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Brown believed that the Canadas shouldhave representation by population. Thatmeant that the more people there were inthe province, the more people they hadto represent them in the Assembly. Brownalso wanted the country to expand to thewest, and to separate religion and politics.He did not want the church to run schoolsor dominate government decisions. Healso believed the French should keep theirspecial rights.

Brown was rst elected in 1851 as aLiberal candidate. By 1864, ater losing hisseat and then regaining it, suering rom illhealth, and marrying Anne Nelson, George

Brown came back to politics hoping orreal change or the country. He workedhard or the next ew years, bringing aboutConederation and promoting representationby population. In 1867, he lost his seat andmoved on to other businesses, including hisToronto newspaper, the Globe.

George-tienne CartierLeader of the Bleu Party from Canada East

George-tienne Cartier wasborn in Lower Canada in 1814.His amily had been nanciallysuccessul in the years ollowingthe British conquest o Quebec(ater the Seven Years War).They had no quarrel with theBritish. Cartier was evennamed ater the British king,

George III. His ather had ought in the Waro 1812, and his grandather had been amember o the elected assembly.

Cartier became a lawyer in 1835, andought or the Patriotes in the 1837 Rebellion,ater he became disappointed in Britains

reusal to grant Responsible Government.He had to escape to the United States or ashort time, but when things settled down,he returned to Quebec and was elected tothe Legislature o Canada West in 1848.

The people o Lower Canada had greatrespect or him, and by the mid 1850s,he decided to join orces with otherConservatives so that the British coloniescould unite. He and John A. Macdonaldbecame political allies and riends. Theywere so close that Macdonald said thatthey had never had a disagreement.

Letter written by Cartier to his wife,

during Confederation talks

Quebec, March 15, 1865.

I am so glad you will allow me to get the bird

for baby. What shall it be a parrot, or a parrot

and some canaries? I am glad she likes animals.

By and by we shall have rabbits for her, and

pigeons, and a pony, and all sorts of things to

make her kind and gentle. Do you know, I think

the care of little creatures has a most softening

effect on all children. I recollect how I pettedmy rabbits, and ever since I have been unable

to see, without extreme horror, even any rough

usage of dumb creatures.

Since writing the above we have had a vote of

want of confidence, and the government has been

sustained by a majority of 93 to 23. We are now

on the second motion. Rose has just spoken, and

Street is firing away on the defence question, and

I must close and take part in the debate.

Dont for a moment fancy that what I am now

doing will unfit me for a quiet settled life. On

the contrary, every day makes me more anxious

to get quit of politics forever. I dont like it,

and would with all my whole heart abandon

it finally tomorrow.

Figure 13.10


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In 1857, George Cartier and John A.Macdonald were co-premiers o Canada.They worked together or the next decadeto bring about Conederation, and ater thatto strengthen the country. Cartier oversaw

the purchase o Ruperts Land rom theHudsons Bay Company, laid the oundationsor Manitoba and British Columbia to enterConederation, and ensured the railroadwould be built rom the Eastern Maritimeprovinces to the Pacic Ocean.

When Cartier died in 1873, John A.Macdonald cried and held his empty chair.His political twin was gone.

Thomas DArcy McGeeLeader of the Reform Party from

Canada East

DArcy McGee was an Irishimmigrant, a reugee othe potato amine. He hadsupported Irish independenceas a young adult, but he

soon began to believethat Ireland should workwithin the British system.

He was a compelling speaker, and the Irishcommunity in Montreal elected him in 1858to represent them. He joined the GreatCoalition (see p. 212) because he believedthat Canada could achieve independencewithin the British system.

McGee wanted to ensure that Catholicsand other minorities had their rights

protected. He spoke out against the Fenians.He said they were worthy o the deathpenalty and that they should stop their raidsin Canada. The Fenians tried to scare himby sending him threatening letters, and thenthey oered money or his assassination.

The Fenians succeeded. DArcy McGeewas shot in the back o his head on April 7,

1868. Patrick Whelan, an Irish immigrant,was ound guilty o the shooting. Butmystery surrounds the circumstances oMcGees death. Some people think it was aplot o the Fenians and that Patrick Whelanwas innocent.

The Hangmans EyesThey hung young Paddy Whelan back in 1869For the murder of DArcy McGeeIt was his shadow in the doorway but the hand

upon the gunWas a Fenian conspiracy

Chorus:The snow began to fall that morningJust as the sun began to riseIt went drifting across the gallows and freezing

on the ropeSwirling in the hangmans eyes

It seemed like every man in Ottawa and halfthe township too

Were gathered there along the gaol-yard wallWith the pickpockets and the peddlers and the

papists and the prayersOf the Orangemen that the trap door wouldnt fail [Repeat Chorus]

For forty days and forty nights the stormy windsdid blow

And the snow drifts piled high on each fence lineAnd they huddled in their kitchens and they

stoked the res highAnd they watched the grey skies for some

rainbow sign [Repeat Chorus]

This song, by the band Tamarack, talks aboutthe last public execution in Canada. It was heldin Ottawa in 1869 for the alleged assassin ofDArcy McGee. It drew a crowd of over 5000.A snowstorm started on the day of the executionand lasted over a month. People called it theYear of the Deep Snow. The jail (spelledgaolin the song) is now a hostel, and the scaffoldis a popular tourist attraction.

Figure 13.11


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Charles TupperPremier of Nova Scotia, Conservative Party

Charles Tupper rst ran oroce as a Conservative andwon against Liberal JosephHowe in 1855. He was a medicaldoctor who kept his medical bagunder his chair in the Houseo Commons. Tupper believedin public education andcampaigned to build a cross-country railroad.

By 1864, when he becamepremier o Nova Scotia, Charles

Tupper was a rm believer in Conederation.

But when it seemed like it would take toolong, he began to push or a Maritime uniono New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PrinceEdward Island.

Samuel Leonard TilleyPremier of New Brunswick, Reform Party

Leonard Tilley was a successulpharmacist. He was alsointerested in politics, andin 1850, he won a seat in theNew Brunswick Assembly.He supported temperance,which would make alcoholillegal. He also wanted arailroad, public schools, andResponsible Government.

Tilley believed strongly inthe benets o Conederation

and even lost an election because o hispro-Conederation stance. Just in timeor Conederation, voters changed theirminds and voted him back in. They wererightened o being invaded by the Fenians,and they knew that they would not have the

resources to protect themselves withouthelp rom other colonies.

Tilley is credited with calling Canada adominion, and or coming up with Canadasmotto, rom sea to sea.

John H. GrayPremier of Prince Edward Island,

Conservative Party

Colonel John HamiltonGray was in themilitary or 20 yearsbeore he ran orthe Prince EdwardIsland Assembly in

1858. He wanted tosettle the problem oabsentee landlords inPrince Edward Island.Absentee landlords were landowners wholived somewhere else. They owned largeareas o land that could not be worked orsettled by others, and lay unused. Thisinhibited Prince Edward Islands growthor many years.

At rst, Gray was a supporter o aMaritime Union, but he became a supportero Conederation, which would include theprovince o Canada as well. He aced strongopposition to Conederation in his provinceHe became disappointed, and resigned in1864. He returned to military lie and ledthe Islands volunteer army.

Figure 13.12

Figure 13.13

Figure 13.14

John H. Gray was also

the name of another

Father of Confederation,

a politician from New

Brunswick.

know ??didyo

u


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Opponents of Confederation

Not every politician o the time thought thatConederation was a good idea. Below aretwo o its most outspoken opponents.

Joseph HoweLeader of the Reform Party

from Nova Scotia

Joseph Howe mighthave misjudged CharlesTupper, his political rivalin Nova Scotia. In 1852,Joseph Howe said, Letus hear the little doctor

by all means. I would notbe any more aected byanything he might saythan by the mewing oyonder kitten. Threeyears later, Howe

suered his rst political deeat in 20 yearswhen Tupper ran against him. I Tupper wasa kitten, then maybe Howe was a mouse.

Joseph Howe was born in Nova Scotiain 1804. He did not attend school or long,but apprenticed in his athers printing shopwhen he was 13. By 1828, he purchased the

Novascotian, a newspaper, and became theeditor. He used his newspaper to exposegovernment corruption, and was chargedwith libel in 1835. He deended himsel incourt and won. The case made him amous.

He was rst elected to goverment in

1836. He immediately began working towardResponsible Government. Nova Scotiaachieved it in 1848, largely because oHowes leadership.

Howe spoke out against Conederationin Nova Scotia and rallied the population

to oppose it. Like many people in theMaritimes, Howe believed that things weregood in the Maritimes. The economy wasstrong, and trade was increasing. He thoughConederation would reverse the regions

ortunes. He even travelled to London,hoping that he could stop the passage othe British North America (BNA) Act, thegovernment act that would orm the newcountry o Canada. Ater it passed, he worketo repeal, or undo, the act. All his eortsailed, however, and when Howe realized hecould not undo Conederation, he worked ongetting a better deal or Nova Scotia.

Antoine-Aim DorionLeader of the Rouge Party from Canada Ea

Antoine-Aim Dorion was educated as alawyer. He was electedto the reorm-mindedRouge Party in 1854. Hebelieved in colonizingthe West and keeping thechurch out o government.Dorion was opposed toConederation because hebelieved that it would notgive individual provincesenough power. He also elt that some o thesmaller provinces would have more powerthan they should. He believed the costswould outweigh the benets, and the generpublic should be consulted about it. Hespoke out regularly against Conederation,

but was unable to generate opposition to itHe sat in the House o Commons ater

Conederation, but quit politics in 1874,when he became the chie justice at thecourt o Queens Bench in Quebec.

Figure 13.15

Figure 13.16


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Hammering Out Confederation

Once George Brown broke the politicaldeadlock and united his opponents, therewas much work to be done on the road to

Conederation. Where would the provincesrepresentatives meet? Which colonies wouldbecome provinces? How would they berepresented in a new ederal government?How would the government operate, andwhat powers would be assigned to theederal and provincial governments?There was a great deal to discuss.

Charlottetown Conference

The Charlottetown Conerence was originallyplanned by the Maritime provinces todiscuss a union among themselves. However,the Canadians asked i they could come andpresent their idea o a larger ederal union.Tupper, Tilley, and Gray rom the Maritimeprovinces welcomed Macdonald, Cartier,and Brown rom the Canadas.

The conerence barely made the news.Everyone was more interested in seeingthe circus that was in town. Because othe circus, hardly anyone was working atthe dock when the delegates rom Canadaarrived. One representative rom PrinceEdward Island rowed out in a little shingboat to greet them. None o the Canadiandelegates were able to nd a hotel roomin town, either. They ended up sleepingon their ship each night.

The meetings started on Thursday,September 1, 1864, and George Brownsaid that the union had been decided aterlunch on Saturday. There were still severaldays o meetings and parties, however.

The week wrapped up the ollowingThursday with a gala ball, ancier thananything Charlottetown had seen beore.The delegates arranged to meet again towork out the details o Conederation.

Quebec ConferenceOn October 10, 1864, delegates rom Canadand the Maritimes met again to discuss

the ideas raised at the CharlottetownConerence the month beore. This meetingwas a lot o work. Delegates had to decide onhow they would run the new country theywere creating. Ater much discussion anddisagreement, the ounders compromised.They drew up a document known as the72 Resolutions rom which they would ormthe laws and oundations o a new country.

The resulting agreement, known as the

Quebec Resolutions, became the basis orthe British North America Act (BNA Act),Canadas ounding constitution. Now thedelegates had to return home and convincetheir assemblies to agree to the resolutions

Figure 13.17 This paint ing , Fathers of Confederation, by JohDavid Kelly, shows delegates at the Quebec Conference. Thistextbook ment ions only some of the Fathers of ConfederatioCan you nd out who some of the others are?


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The London Conferenceand the bnaAct

The rst meeting o the London Conerencewas held in December 1866. Conederation

was ocially declared on March 29, 1867.The legislative assemblies o Canada Westand Canada East, Nova Scotia, and NewBrunswick had agreed to Conederation.Prince Edward Island and Newoundlandchose not to join. With Conederation,Canada West would become the provinceo Ontario and Canada East would becomethe province o Quebec.

Throughout the previous conerences,

it was John A. Macdonald who led themeetings. He convinced and cajoledthe other delegates until they came toagreement. Macdonald also led the meetingthat wrote the British North America Actthat would bring the new country o Canadainto existence.

The British North America Act outlinedeverything rom how to deal with criminals,to the laws governing marriage and divorce.It said that people would have rights similarto those in the United Kingdom, but itdid not specically outline those rights.It established how the provinces wouldwork together (or example, people wouldnot have to pay a ee to trade across provin-cial boundaries). It stated that Parliamenthad to make laws or the peace, orderand good government o Canada. One o

the most important clauses gave Quebecand New Brunswick rights or RomanCatholic schools.

The BNA Act made Canada a ull-fedged,sel-governing country, instead o a groupo British colonies. The type o government

set down in the BNA Act is known asrepresentative democracy. That means tharepresentatives who the citizens voted oras members o Parliament would represent

their interests. The country would collectits own taxes and decide how to spendits own money. Britain still controlled theconstitution, however, and Canada could nomake changes to the rules in the BNA Actwithout British permission.

Q and A:The British North America ActQ: What in the world is the British NorthAmerica Act?

A: The BNAAct is Canadas rst constitution.

Q: What is a constitution?A: A constitution is the rules and principles of acountry. It outlines the key laws that will governa country, and what a country is allowed to do inorder to enforce and use those laws.

Q: According to the BNAAct, what are some ofthose rules for Canada?

A: The BNAAct outlined the powers that thefederal and provincial governments would have.For instance, provinces were to be in charge oflocal matters like schools, prisons, and hospitals.

The federal government was in charge of thingsaffecting the entire country, such as the armyand trade with other countries. The Fathers ofConfederation wanted a strong central, federalgovernment, and so they said that any powers notspecically mentioned in the BNAAct would fallunder federal control.

Q: Why was that signicant?

A: The Fathers of Confederation were inuencedby what they saw happen with the civil war in theUnited States, when the southern states wanted

to form their own country. They believed Canadamight have the same trouble in a few years. Theybelieved a strong central government would makestrong provinces that were committed to beingpart of Canada.


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The whole process o Conederationwas a good example o the representativedemocracy that was to come. Many ordinary

people did not agree with it, but theirrepresentatives pushed it through. Therepresentatives elt they were acting inthe best interests o the people, even ithe people did not agree with what theywere doing. The people could vote them outin the next election, but theycould not undo Conederation.

Dominion DayQueen Victoria decreed thatCanadians should celebrateeach July 1, the day the lawso Conederation were to takeeect. Early Dominion Dayswere celebrated with 21-gunsalutes, speeches by ministersand politicians, and activitieslike boat, running, and sack

races. Sometimes a bandwould play, and sometimesthere would be reworks inthe evening. In 1982, the nameDominion Day was changedto Canada Day.

BabooJohn A. Macdonald wasa successful politician,but he experienced manypersonal tragedies. Hisrst wife became sick

and was an invalid formany years before shedied. One of his twosons born to her diedas an infant.

Years later, his secondwife, Agnes, gave birth toa girl, whom they namedMary. Mary was bornwith water on the brain.Because of this, her headwas very large, and she was unable to walk or

speak clearly. Still, in a time when many peoplewith disabilities were shunned, John A. loved hisdaughter. He took her to Parliament, called her byan affectionate nickname, Baboo, and rocked herto sleep. When she was older, he wrote her letters,and she replied to them. She died in England atthe age of 65.

Figure 13.19 Agnes andMary Macdonald

Figure 13.18 Dominion Day celebrat ions, 1880

Figure 13.20 CANADA AFTER CONFEDERATION, 1867. Following Confederat ion,Canada was made up of Nova Scot ia, New Brunswick , Quebec, and Ontar io.


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Today shall be a glorious day!Queen Victoria has decreed that weshould have a special day today because of

the Confederation of Canada! There is to be a

parade and a picnic. Mama said that she will

buy me an ice cream. That must be the most

delightful of treats!

There will be races of all sorts. I hope Mama

will let me enter the races. She said that its not

becoming for a young lady to enter races and

such, but perhaps she will let me if there are

other parents allowing their daughters to race.

Im excellent at sack races, and I know that

Nellie and I could beat all the boys at a three-

legged race. We did at school! But Mama and

Papa think that Miss Norton has radical views

about those kinds of things, and they

asked that there be no more races

between the boys and the girls. Well,

for today, even if I am not allowed to

race, I know I shall be able to watch.

Papa has said that he will not

go. He actually wanted to hang out

black mourning crepe! Mama would

not hear of it. She said that perhaps

Confederation is not in the best

interests of our colony, but it will not

be undone and so we must make

the most of it. Papa grumbled and

tamped down his pipe, and he saidnot a word in reply.

It is so funny when Mama puts

Papa in his place! She does this so

rarely, but I was relieved that she

stood up on this account. Imagine!

Willard MacDonell has to miss the

celebrations because his father is against them

and his mother would never breathe a word to

retaliate. Willards been imagining how he coulsneak out to enjoy the day, but his father will

watch him like a hawk, he says. I heard Mama

say that Mr. MacDonell may be opposed, but he

will not be above opening his pharmacy to sell

all the fountain drinks the crowds will buy.

Perhaps even Papa will not be able to resist

the wonderful fireworks they are talking about

setting off when it gets dark, and he always lov

a cricket match. I do hope he decides to come,

as it will be a glorious day. It would be exciting

to celebrate this first birthday of Canada with

our whole family.

Canadas First Day

Figure 13.21

astor



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Reactions to ConfederationReactions to Conederationvaried across the colonies.

Aboriginal peoples. NoAboriginal peoples were among

the Fathers o Conederation,and their concerns were notdiscussed. Although the Frenchand English languages wereboth mentioned in the BNA Act,nothing was said o Aboriginallanguages or Aboriginal rights.

In 1857, The GradualCivilization Act had given the

Province o Canada the right todecide who had Indian status.It also told Aboriginal men howto give up their status, becomecitizens, and gain European-style ownership o their land.Aboriginal peoples with Indianstatus could not vote (until1960), and Aboriginal peopleswho moved o the reserve and owned land

lost their special rights. As well, in the late1850s, the Indian Department (as it wascalled) introduced new measures that madesure the government, and not Aboriginalpeoples, controlled minerals, timber, and oil.

Quebec (Canada East) and Ontario

(Canada West). With the division o theProvince o Canada into two provinces,the political deadlock was broken, and

each could run its own aairs. BecauseConederation brought in representationby population, and both provinces hadlarge populations, they had more infuencethan the smaller provinces.

Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia had excellenttrade relations with the United States,

and many people there did not wantanything changed. In act, they eared thatConederation would hurt their economy.Because Charles Tupper had a majoritywithin the government, he was able to pushConederation through beore the electionsFor several years aterward, an anti-Conederation movement worked to repealtheBritish North America Act. It blamed

Conederation or many o the nancialproblems the province aced in the late1800s, including drought, border and tradetroubles, and a downturn in the economy.

Figure 13.22 Construction of Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, 1865. CanadasParliament Buildings were completed in 1866. However, a re in 1916 destroyedall but the library and the northwest wing. The structure was rebuil t in 1922,and sti ll ser ves as the home of Canadas government.


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New Brunswick. Many people in NewBrunswick were against Conederation. JohnA. Macdonald and others had argued or astrong central government, but people inNew Brunswick wanted a stronger provincialgovernment. Business people worried that

they would have to pay more taxes andtaris, and that they would have to deal withincreased competition because o Coned-eration. Ethnic minorities, like the Acadiansand Irish Catholics, did not trust theProtestant Tilley and his ollowers. Others,however, saw the benets o Conederation,particularly the security it oered.

Prince Edward Island. Prince Edward

Islanders, whose hospitality had made theCharlottetown Conerence such a success,declined to join in 1867. They elt thatthey would have little impact in the unitedcolonies and were concerned that theywould have to ght in Canadian battles.They also worried that they would haveto pay higher taxes.

However, only six years later in 1873,

railroad debts, continuing rustration withabsentee landlords, and the promise o anecient steamship service to the mainlandpersuaded them to join Conederation. Inaddition, Prince Edward Island was able to sendsix representatives to Parliament instead ove, and received $50 per person or joiningConederation. From Canadas perspective,bringing Prince Edward Island intoConederation kept more land rom alling

into the hands o the Americans.

Newfoundland. Newoundland opted out oConederation and only sent a ew observersto the Quebec Conerence. The observerswere excited by the idea o Conederation,

but when they brought the idea back to thecolony, people were not interested. RomanCatholic leaders elt that they might besubject to anti-Catholic laws, and merchantwere araid o new taxes that would notbenet them. Newoundland did not join

Conederation until 1949.

Other provinces and territories. Laterarrivals to Conederation included Manitobain 1870, when it seemed as i the ManitobaAct would deal with Mtis concerns. BritishColumbia joined in 1871, lured by thepromise o a railroad and Canadas willing-ness to pay its debt. The vast North-WesternTerritory would become part o Canada

in 1870. Renamed North-West Territories,then in 1912, Northwest Territories, it wouldcontinue to be carved up over the years. In1898, Yukon gained territorial status. In 1905the provinces o Alberta and Saskatchewanwere created. In 1999, Nunavut was ormed.

Conclusion

In this chapter, you learned about some othe reasons or Conederation, the peoplewho came together to create a new countryand how they created it.

The decisions made during the time oConederation continue to aect us. Manyo our laws are based on the oundingprinciples outlined in the BNA Act. Peace,order, and good government are still

Canadian ideals, and many o us cannotimagine a Canada that does not includeall the provinces.

In the next chapter, Ben and Sara explorwhat it meant to be a citizen o Canada in1867 and what it means today.

Grade 5 People Ch13

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Transcript of Grade 5 People Ch13