Political Deadlock in the Canadas
Governments couldn't last because:
- the "double majority rule" - to pass a bill you needed a majority in both Canada East and Canada West
http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/encyclopedia/DoubleMajority-HistoryofCanada.htm
- "equal representation" - Canada East and Canada West had the same number of seats despite Canada East having a greater population
- political realities - Only John A. Macdonald and George E. Cartier could form reliable alliances between their political parties to govern and get things done. When Macdonald and Cartier were less successful at the polls, there was less stability in government.
- Suspicion and distrust between French and English also played a part in the deadlock.
- Everyone agreed on one thing - the system borne out of the Union Act of 1841 wasn't working and something needed to change.
Pressures from the United States
- The Civil War caused trouble between Britain and America, and as a result between America and the British North American colonies. In particular, the Union was angry at Britain for buying cotton from the South and thereby providing the Confederacy with finances for the war against the North. With a large, powerful and battle-hardened army, many in the colonies feared that the Union could easily take out their anger at the British on the largely undefended colonies.
- After the Civil War, many Irish Americans who fought united and planned to invade Canada. Their hope was to take the colonies and hold them for ransom until Britain agreed to free Ireland from British control. However, the raids were poorly organized and in most cases didn't even make it to the border. Nonetheless, the threat frightened the colonists and helped to convince the public that it needed protection from invasion.
- "Manifest Destiny" was the widely held American belief that America's destiny was to control all of North America. In their actions, they warred with Mexico over the west, bought California, annexed Texas and bought much of the central South and midwest through the Louisiana Purchase. It was reasonable for British colonists to fear for their place in North America.
Economic Pressures
- After the end of the Civil War in 1866, the United States cancelled the Reciprocity Treaty (free trade) with the British North American colonies. In part, this was seen as a way of getting back at Britain for buying Southern cotton during the Civil War. In part, there was a feeling that without American trade the colonies might be forced to join the United States.
- Britain cancelled free trade for all of its colonies. They were moving to an industrial model, where there was no advantage to giving colonial goods preferential treatment. Instead, Britain now saw colonial goods as competition against their own goods.
- Ironically, there was free trade with the US, but no free trade between the British colonies. Now with the US and Britain eliminating free trade with the colonies and hence dramatically changing access to markets and certain finished goods that the colonies did not produce enough of, the colonies had no choice but to turn to each other for trade.
- Ultimately, building a railway between the colonies provided a means of security (i.e. An intercolonial railway could move troops to where they were needed.) and an economic solution (i.e. An intercolonial railway could facilitate trade amongst the colonies.).
