Fathers of Confederation

The Fathers of Confederation were the persons instrumental in founding Canada. Thirty-six men are generally included among the Fathers of Confederation, though some historians have argued for adding others. They represented the British Canadian colonies in at least one of three crucial meetings that led to the establishment of Canada as a country in 1867. Several of the Fathers attended more than one of the three meetings—the Charlottetown Conference and the Quebec Conference, both in 1864, and the London Conference in 1866—and eleven men attended all three.

Background

Canada, like the rest of North America, was originally inhabited by Indigenous North Americans, including the Huron-Wendat, Sioux, Cree, Dene, Iroquois, and others. Europeans began serious efforts at colonization in the sixteenth century. In the 1530s and 1540s, French explorer Jacques Cartier claimed much of the land for France.

The British also established several east coast colonies in the early 1600s. These colonies became larger and more prosperous than the French colonies, and the two countries fought regularly throughout the early 1700s. That ended on September 13, 1759, when the British forces defeated the French at the Battle of Quebec. England took control of the former French colonies and the entire area became known as British North America.

Over the next several decades, various parts of British North America began establishing new forms of government. In 1791, the Constitutional Act divided the former French portion of the country, known as the Province of Quebec, into Upper Canada and Lower Canada. The Constitutional Act also allowed the people of these two regions to select legislators to represent them for the first time.

By the 1830s, some in Canada wanted greater independence. Some even felt Canada should join the United States. A few rebellions broke out and were squashed, but British representatives were sent to Canada to see what could be done to prevent future issues. Recommendations were made to establish a responsible government where the British Crown would need the support of the majority of elected legislators to act.

During the 1840s, the colonies of British North America began working towards such a government. Upper and Lower Canada were reunited as the Province of Canada, and various parts of Canada began establishing their own governments. In these governments, if the upper leadership loses the confidence of the voting legislators in the assembly, the leadership must resign. By the end of the 1840s, most of British North America was operating under this form of government.

Overview

In the 1860s, both Britain and its North American colonies were interested in changing their relationship. Britain’s financial responsibilities to the colonies, which included providing protection, were getting expensive. This was especially a concern as the United States grew in power. Many residents of the Canadian colonies or their immediate ancestors had immigrated to Canada during or after the American Revolution. There were many in the United States who applied pressure to encourage them to rejoin the United States and make their Canadian colonies US states.

Creating a more centralized government for Canada would eliminate the risk of some Canadian colonies becoming part of the United States. It would also provide financial benefits, as what were once separately governed colonies would combine resources for projects like railroads and roadways. A more central government would also minimize some of the disputes between colonies, especially those between the French- and English-speaking colonies that had different priorities.

In 1864, the first of three meetings was held to help create a new form of government for Canada. The first was the Charlottetown Conference, held in September 1864. Twenty-three representatives of the Maritime Colonies on Canada’s east coast met at Prince Edward Island to discuss possible ways of governing their colonies. They were joined by a delegation from the Province of Canada that redirected the conversation to confederation, or becoming a united group of colonies under a central governing authority.

This was followed by the Quebec Conference in October 1864. The thirty-three men who met made significant progress on establishing guidelines for a new government, including provisions to have both federal and provincial governments with split responsibilities. The federal government would have two houses, with representation in one based on population and in the other more regional in representation.

On December 4, 1866, a continuation of the Quebec Conference convened in London. Sixteen representatives from Canada East, Canada West, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia met to finalize several issues for the new confederacy. These included issues related to the structure of the senate as well as an intercolonial railway and religious schools. After they reached an agreement, the British Parliament passed the British North America Act in March 1867. It took effect on July 1, 1867, creating the Dominion of Canada. That day is now celebrated as Canada Day.

The thirty-six men who attended any or all of these meetings are Canada’s Fathers of Confederation. They included Edward Barron Chandler, John Hamilton Gray, John Mercer Johnson, Albert James Smith, William H. Steeves, Samuel Leonard Tilley, Adams George Archibald, Robert B. Dickey, William Alexander Henry, Jonathan McCully, Charles Tupper, George Coles, Andrew Archibald Macdonald, Edward Palmer, William Henry Pope, George Brown, Alexander Campbell, George-Étienne Cartier, Alexander Tilloch Galt, Hector-Louis Langevin, John A. Macdonald, William McDougall, Thomas D’Arcy McGee, John Ros, Jean-Charles Chapais, Étienne-Paschal Taché, James Cockburn, Oliver Mowat, Charles Fisher, Peter Mitchell, John William Ritchie, Joseph Howe, Thomas Heath Haviland, Edward Whelan, William Pearce Howland, and Robert Duncan Wilmot.

Some historians also add others to the list who were instrumental in bringing other areas into the Dominion of Canada. These include Louis Riel, who defended the rights of the Indigenous Métis people and is recognized as the founder of Manitoba; Armor de Cosmos, who was instrumental in bringing British Columbia into the Confederation; and Joey Smallwood, who lobbied in favor of Newfoundland joining Canada. Some historians have also proposed calling the wives and daughters of these men the Mothers of Confederation in recognition of their support and roles in the events surrounding the conferences.

Bibliography

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