Confederation: Building a Nation · 1850-1867
Resistance to Confederation
Examine why leaders like Joseph Howe in Nova Scotia and many in Prince Edward Island opposed the union.
Key Questions
- 1Why did some Atlantic colonies feel Confederation would hurt them?
- 2What were the specific concerns of French Canadian nationalists like Antoine-Aimé Dorion?
- 3How was Indigenous sovereignty ignored during these negotiations?
Ontario Curriculum Expectations
ON: Canada, 1850–1867: Distance, Diversity, and Demographics - Grade 7
Grade: Grade 7
Subject: History & Geography
Unit: Confederation: Building a Nation
Period: 1850-1867
Suggested Methodologies
Ready to teach this topic?
Generate a complete, classroom-ready active learning mission in seconds.
More in Confederation: Building a Nation
Political Deadlock
Understand how the equal number of seats for Canada East and West led to a government that could not make decisions.
3 methodologies
Economic and Military Pressures
Explore the end of Reciprocity with the US and the threat of American expansionism (Manifest Destiny).
3 methodologies
The Conferences
Trace the negotiations from Charlottetown to Quebec and finally London.
3 methodologies
The BNA Act, 1867
Analyze the document that created the Dominion of Canada and defined the powers of federal and provincial governments.
3 methodologies