INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS LEADING TO CONFEDERATION

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Confederation

• INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS LEADING TO
  CONFEDERATION

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INTERNAL EXTERNAL FACTORS

• Internal Factors
• Factors occurring in BNA
• 1. Repeal of the Corn Laws
• 2. Political Deadlock
• 3. The Railway

• External Factors
• Factors occurring outside of BNA
• 1. Manifest Destiny
• 2. The Trent Affair
• 3. The Chesapeake Incident
• 4. The St. Albans Raid
• 5. The Fenian Raids
• 6. End of Reciprocity

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Internal Factor 1 Repeal of the Corn Laws

• The Corn Laws were British laws which set customs
  duties on wheat and other cereal grains imported
  into Britain
• This ensured that Britain would get their corn
  from British colonies
• British colonies (Upper Lower Canada) were
  being charged far less import duty than grain
  growers who were not a part of the British Empire
• In 1846, Britain repealed (cancelled) the Corn
  Laws and moved towards free trade
• This caused Canadian farmers to lose their
  trading terms and price advantage over American
  producers and the American producers took a
  larger share of the British market

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Internal Factor 2 Political Deadlock

• Canada East
• Le Parti Bleu (Conservatives)
• George-Etienne Cartier
• VS
• Le Parti Rouge (Reform Party)
• Antoine-Aime Dorion

• Canada West
• Liberal-Conservative Party (Tories)
• John A. Macdonald
• VS
• Clear Grits (Reform Party)
• George Brown

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Internal Factor 2 Political Deadlock

• Political Deadlock is a situation where progress
  cannot be made because the parties involved do
  not agree
• Canada East (French) vs. Canada West (English)
• The 2 issues that created this deadlock were
• Transportation
• Representation

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Internal Factor 2 Political Deadlock

• Transportation
• Canada West wanted to expand transportation
  facilities to increase trade and wealth they
  were willing to spend government money to do so.
• Canada East did not want to change their existing
  way of life they felt that better links with
  Canada West would threaten their identity and
  they resisted attempts to spend tax money on
  transportation improvements.

• Representation
• Canada West supported Representation by
  Population
• Canada East wanted to retain equal representation
  
• Disagreements about these two issues led to a
  coalition between MacDonald, Cartier, and Brown
• Coalition is - a temporary joining together of
  two or more political parties
• The determination of the Canadian leaders to
  change the government was the spark that put
  Confederation into motion.
• Representation by Population was agreed upon

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Internal Factor 3 The Railway

• Canada West, Canada East, Nova Scotia and New
  Brunswick had their own railway but they were not
  all connected.
• The railway was needed to increase trade and move
  troops more quickly in case of war.
• The railway would increase communication (quicker
  movement of mail) and increase business.
• An INTERCOLONIAL railway would overcome problems
  mountains and freezing of St. Lawrence.
• Due to financial trouble the building came to a
  halt and politicians dreamed to connect Canada
  from sea to sea.
• Confederation was needed to build this railway.

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Internal Factor 3 The Railway

• Did You Know?
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