Creating Canada: 1850–1890 · Term 1

The Road to Confederation: Internal Factors

Students examine the political, economic, and security factors in British North America that necessitated a federal union.

About This Topic

The Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences represent the high-stakes negotiations where the blueprint for Canada was drafted. Students look closely at the 72 Resolutions and the intense bargaining required to balance regional autonomy with a functional central government. This topic is essential for understanding the 'federal' nature of Canada and the specific compromises made regarding language, religion, and representation.

This unit also provides a critical opportunity to examine the power dynamics of the era. While the 'Fathers of Confederation' are celebrated, students must also analyze the socio-political climate that barred women, Indigenous leaders, and non-landowning men from the table. Grasping these constitutional nuances is often difficult through text alone. Students grasp this concept faster through structured discussion and peer explanation where they must defend specific resolutions from the perspective of different regions.

Active Learning Ideas

Simulation Game: The Quebec Conference Re-enactment

Students are assigned roles as delegates from different colonies. They must negotiate three specific resolutions: representation by population, the division of powers, and the funding of the railway, experiencing the difficulty of reaching a consensus.

⏱ 90 min·Whole Class

Generate mission

Gallery Walk: The 72 Resolutions

Post simplified versions of key resolutions around the room. Students move in small groups to analyze each one, noting which colony would 'win' or 'lose' based on that specific rule.

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Stations Rotation: Perspectives on Union

Set up stations with primary sources from George-Étienne Cartier, George Brown, and John A. Macdonald, along with a station for 'The Excluded' (Indigenous and female voices). Students rotate to compare the different visions for the new country.

⏱ 60 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

The conferences were smooth meetings where everyone agreed on a vision.

What to Teach Instead

The negotiations were actually quite heated, especially regarding 'Rep by Pop' and provincial rights. Using a mock negotiation helps students see that Canada was born out of difficult compromises, not a single shared dream.

Common Misconception

The 72 Resolutions are the same as the British North America Act.

What to Teach Instead

While the Resolutions formed the basis of the Act, they were a set of proposals that still had to be passed by colonial legislatures and then the British Parliament. Collaborative mapping of the 'path to law' helps clarify this legislative process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the purpose of the Charlottetown Conference?

Originally, it was a meeting for the Maritime colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI) to discuss a Maritime Union. However, delegates from the Province of Canada 'crashed' the meeting and successfully persuaded the Maritimers to consider a larger British North American union instead.

What were the 72 Resolutions?

These were the specific points agreed upon during the Quebec Conference in 1864. They outlined how the new federal government would work, including the division of powers between federal and provincial governments, the structure of the House of Commons and Senate, and the financial arrangements for the colonies.

How did George-Étienne Cartier protect French interests?

Cartier insisted on a federal system rather than a legislative union. By ensuring that provinces had control over education, civil law, and local matters, he protected the unique cultural and linguistic identity of Quebec within the larger English-speaking federation.

What are the best hands-on strategies for teaching the conferences?

Role-playing the delegates is the most effective strategy. When students have to argue for 'Rep by Pop' as a delegate from Canada West, or defend provincial rights as a delegate from Quebec, they internalize the regional tensions. This active participation turns dry constitutional history into a dynamic puzzle that requires critical thinking and empathy to solve.

Browse curriculum by country

• Americas
• US
• CA
• MX
• CL
• CO
• BR

• Europe
• UK
• IE
• FR
• DE
• ES
• IT
• NL
• PT
• SE

• Asia & Pacific
• IN
• SG
• AU