Charlottetown Conference
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The Charlottetown Conference (A Conference to discuss the Confederation of Canada) was held in
Coincidentally there was a
Conference
Unfortunately, there is no formal record of what was said during the Charlottetown meetings. What we know has been gathered from private sources, such as letters written home by delegates. We do know that there was agreement on the need for a detailed discussion of a potential union. It is known that the Maritime delegates put aside their idea of Maritime Union, while the Canadians could see solutions to their own problems in a larger union.[6]
The majority of the conference took place at the colony's legislative building, Province House,[7] although some social functions such as dinners and banquets were held at other venues including Government House and Inkerman House, the home of the colony's Lieutenant Governor.[8]
The conference had begun on Thursday September 1 with a banquet for the delegates. Parties and banquets were held each night after the day's discussions had ended, except for Sunday September 4, when they did not meet. The representatives from the Province of Canada dominated the conference, overshadowing the concerns of the Maritimes, and laying out foundations for the union that benefited them the most. Four of the first five days were spent outlining the Canadian position, and the Maritime representatives did not discuss their own plans until September 6 and 7. One Canadian delegate, George Brown, spent two days discussing the details of the proposed constitution, which would keep Canada within the British Empire.
Most of the Maritimes were convinced that a wider union including the Province of Canada would also be beneficial to them; Prince Edward Island was unsure, however, and very much against confederation. The delegates also believed that union could be achieved within a few years, rather than in an undefined period in the future as they had originally planned. The initial intentions of the conference was for the Maritimes to discuss the possibility of a union within provinces. The Province of Canada (consisting of present-day Ontario and Quebec) requested one of their own delegates to attend the conference. If not for the inclusion of 8 Canadian delegates from the province of Canada, the constitution would not have been proposed within federal union.[9]
The conference concluded on Wednesday September 7, but the representatives agreed to meet again the next month in both Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Quebec City (see Quebec Conference). A ball was also held on September 8, after which the delegates returned home. In addition to political meetings, the delegates participated in social activities like special lunches, small boating trips, and a ball, which gave delegates the opportunity to bond.[10] The delegates from respected provinces met again on September 10 and 12, 1864 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where further discussions arose regarding the union and idea of the constitution. Following meetings in Halifax, representatives met in Quebec city, on October 10 to 27, 1864. The Quebec Conference fostered a draft constitution for the proposed federal union.[11]
Confederation
Canada was created on July 1, 1867 through negotiation at the aforementioned conferences above. To the south, during the Civil War, the United States Army grew dramatically in size. Some historians believe that Confederation was a pre-emptive action to reduce the chances that territories to the north and west of Canada would be annexed by the United States.[12]
Delegates
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia |
Prince Edward Island
|
Province of Canada |
See also
References
- ^ The Charlottetown Conference, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, http://biographi.ca/en/theme_conferences_1864.html?p=8
- ^ Brown, George. "George Brown describes the Charlottetown Conference, 1864". Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
- ^ The Charlottetown Conference, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, http://biographi.ca/en/theme_conferences_1864.html?p=8
- ^ Canada, Library and Archives. "The Charlottetown Conference, September 1-9, 1864 - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ Bolger, Francis W.P. (1960). "The Charlottetown Conference and its Significance in Canadian History" (PDF). CCHA Report. 27: 11–23.
- ^ Parks Canada Agency, Government of Canada (October 28, 2020). "The Charlottetown Conference - Province House National Historic Site". www.pc.gc.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ISBN 9780195406962.
- ^ MacKinnon, Wayne E. (1973). The Life of the Party: A History of the Liberal Party in Prince Edward Island. Williams and Crue. p. 36.
- ^ "Charlottetown Conference | Canadian history". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "The Charlottetown Conference September 1-9, 1864". Library and Archives Canada. May 2, 2005. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
- ^ "Charlottetown Conference | Canadian history". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ "Confederation, 1867 | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ "Confederation | The Canadian Encyclopedia". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved February 22, 2021.
- ^ The Charlottetown Conference, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, http://biographi.ca/en/theme_conferences_1864.html?p=8
Bibliography
- Creighton, Donald (2012). The Road to Confederation: The Emergence of Canada, 1863-1867. Toronto: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-544921-1.
- Moore, Christopher (1997). 1867: How the Fathers Made a Deal. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart. ISBN 978-0-7710-6096-0.
- Morton, William Lewis (1964). The Critical Years: the Union of British North America, 1857-1873. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart. ISBN 978-0-7710-6561-3.
The critical years : the union of British North America, 1857-1873.
- Waite, Peter Busby (2001). The Life and Times of Confederation, 1864–1867: Politics, Newspapers, and the Union of British North America (3rd ed.). Toronto: Robin Brass Studio. ISBN 978-1-896941-23-3.
External links
- Charlottetown Conference of 1864
- Canadian Confederation, a virtual museum exhibition at Library and Archives Canada