Canadian Confederation Is Founded

Setting the scene

British North American colonies faced Fenian raids, trade disputes, and American expansionism after the Civil War; John A. Macdonald, George-Étienne Cartier, and George Brown forged the Great Coalition to pursue a federal union from Ontario to Nova Scotia.

What happened

Canadian Confederation took effect on July 1, 1867, with the British North America Act creating the Dominion of Canada uniting Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia under Governor General Lord Monck.

Why it still matters

July 1 later became Canada Day as provinces and territories accreted westward to the Pacific; Macdonald's railway promises, French-English duality, and treaties with First Nations still frame national politics more than a century later.

Background

July 1 later became Canada Day.