pressure to confederate- internal and external

Internal Pressures to Confederate


Political Deadlock

• Two Canadas—Canada East and Canada West—would have equal representation in the elected assembly of the Province of Canada. Nothing could be decided- political deadlock. 
•  Canada West’s political leaders saw “rep by pop” as a democratic way to further their own agendas; French Canadian leaders saw it as an attempt by Canada West to assimilate them 
• Cartier, MacDonald, and Brown realized that the political deadlock highlighted their colony’s French–English duality - the country needed to unity 

Economic and Geographic Challenges 

• Trade and financial problems ie. repealing the corn laws by the British fuelled Canadians to question how best to create trade. 
• Railway: raw goods could be transported from the West to manufacturing points and West could be opened up for settlement 

External Pressures 

American 

• The American Civil War - philosophical challenges to Britains' policies 
• The Trent Affair- lack of security 
• St. Alban's Raid 
• Manifest Destiny 
• Fenian Raids 
• End of reciprocity 

British 

• colonies no longer seen as asset,  encouraged to be independent 
• and hoped for improved relationship with US. 
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