BNA Act

Question 1

Which individuals make up the Great Coalition?

Answer 1

George Brown of the Clear Grits.
John A. Macdonald of the Conservatives
George-Étienne Cartier of le Parti bleu

Question 2

What did each member of the Coalition want out of the Confederation?

Answer 2

Brown wanted representation by population.
Macdonald wanted a strong central government.
Cartier desired provincial power to legislate education so the Canadiens could protect their language and religion.

Question 3

What and when were the three conferences that preluded the Confederation?

Answer 3

Charlottetown, PEI; September 1, 1864
Quebec, Quebec; October 10, 1864
London, England; December, 1866

Question 4

Describe the Charlottetown Conference.

Answer 4

Representatives from PEI, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were present to discuss a union between the British Atlantic colonies, wherein the Coalition was invited as observers.
The Province’s delegates manged to convince the Maritime delegates to join the Confederation.
All representatives agreed upon a central federation, where the government would hold the most important powers.

Question 5

What occurred in Quebec Conference?

Answer 5

Reaffirmation for a federal union and agreement of topics/issues summarized in the Quebec Resolutions or 72 Resolutions.

Question 6

What was the Quebec Resolutions / 72 Resolutions?

Answer 6

In the 72 Resolutions, wants, agreements and ways to implement these desires were written.

Question 7

How were powers divided between the two levels of government?`

Answer 7

The federal government would oversee that which concerned the nation as a whole.
provincial power would be limited to local and cultural matters.

Question 8

Under what conditions did New Brunswick and Nova Scotia join the Confedration?

Answer 8

Demanded the construction of the Intercolonial Railway,

which they as essential for strengthening economic and political relations between the two regions.

Question 9

How did the parliments react to the idea of the Confederation?

Answer 9

Dorion saw the “Rep by Pop ‘’ as a threat to the survival of Canadien identity.
There was more resistance to the project in the Atlantic colonies, which feared that it would decrease their autonomy and increase taxes.

Question 10

After deliberating, to what decision did the Maritime colonies come to?

Answer 10

New Brunswick and Nova Scotia were in favour for the confederation, mostly because of the Intercolonial Railway.
PEI and Newfoundland rejected the federal union for several reasons, one among them that the Intercolonial Railway could not reach them.

Question 11

On what date did the BNA Act come into force?

Answer 11

July 1st, 1867

Question 12

What did becoming a dominion entail for Canada?

Answer 12

As a “Dominion,” Canada would manage its finances and internal affairs; the UK would still have control of Canada international affairs.

Question 13

What was one way in which Canada becoming a dominion benefited the UK?

Answer 13

Having Canada rule its own finances was a rather good thing for London’s coin-pouches.

Question 14

On what day did British Parliament pass the BNA Act?

Answer 14

29th of March, 1867

Question 15

What were the provinces that were created with the BNA Act?

Answer 15

Ontario (formerly West Canada)
Quebec (formerly East Canada)
New Brunswick, which kept its name.
Nova Scotia, which kept its name

Question 16

Where was the Dominion’s capital and why?

Answer 16

Ottawa, seen as it was on the border between Ontario and Quebec.

Question 17

After the US purchased Alaska from Russia in 1870, what did the Dominion do and why?

Answer 17

The government of Canada purchased Rupert’s Land and Northwest Territories in order to:
Prevent the US from acquiring either territories.
To have land to offer settlers, though they didn’t expect many people would try and live there.
To expand the country’s domestic market.