Canada History and Confederation Flashcards

Which colonial politician delivered the famous 'rep by pop' argument, insisting that Canada West deserved representation in proportion to its population rather than equal seats with Canada East?

Answer: George Brown

George Brown, leader of the Clear Grits and founder of the Globe newspaper, championed 'representation by population' (rep by pop) for Canada West. By the 1860s, Canada West's population had surpassed Canada East's, making equal seats increasingly unacceptable to Brown's constituents. His willingness to set aside personal animosity with Macdonald to form the Great Coalition of 1864 was pivotal to launching Confederation.

The Quebec Resolutions of 1864 established 72 principles for Confederation. Which provision did the Maritime delegates find most contentious, nearly derailing the conference?

Answer: The appointed rather than elected Senate

Maritime delegates, particularly from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, strongly objected to an appointed Senate rather than an elected one. They had hoped the upper chamber would robustly protect regional interests, and an appointed body chosen by the federal government seemed unlikely to do so. This tension over Senate composition persisted through negotiations, though the appointed model ultimately prevailed in the BNA Act of 1867.

Newfoundland was represented at the Charlottetown and Quebec Conferences but did not join Confederation in 1867. What was the primary reason its legislature rejected union at that time?

Answer: Confidence in its own economic prosperity and reluctance to assume a share of Canadian debt

Newfoundland's delegates attended the 1864 conferences, but the colony's legislature ultimately rejected Confederation largely because Newfoundlanders felt economically self-sufficient through the prosperous fishery and did not want to take on a portion of the debts of the united Province of Canada. The terms offered were also seen as insufficient. Newfoundland would not join Canada until 1949.

The British North America Act, 1867 gave the federal government a residual power clause — the ability to legislate on matters not explicitly assigned to provinces. Under which section and phrase is this federal residual power most directly expressed?

Answer: Section 91, 'Peace, Order, and good Government of Canada'

Section 91 of the BNA Act grants Parliament the authority to make laws for the 'Peace, Order, and good Government of Canada' (POGG) in relation to all matters not assigned exclusively to the provinces. This residual clause gave the federal government broad powers in unanticipated areas and has been invoked in cases of national emergency and national concern throughout Canadian constitutional history.

Which of the following best describes the 'double shuffle' political manoeuvre of 1858 in the Province of Canada, and why is it significant to the Confederation story?

Answer: It was a procedural trick by Macdonald and Cartier to return to office within 48 hours and avoid a by-election, exposing the deadlock of the Union Act's political system

The 'double shuffle' of 1858 occurred when the Macdonald–Cartier government fell, was replaced briefly by the Brown–Dorion ministry, then immediately returned to power — with ministers swapping portfolios to exploit a loophole allowing them to avoid mandatory by-elections. The incident illustrated the extreme political instability of the Union Act system caused by the requirement for a double majority, reinforcing why a new constitutional framework (Confederation) was necessary.

When Prince Edward Island finally joined Confederation in 1873, six years after the original four provinces, which specific federal commitment most directly overcame the island's resistance?

Answer: A promise to purchase lands from absentee landlords to resolve the longstanding land tenure dispute

PEI's most pressing grievance was the absentee landlord system, in which much of the island's land was owned by absent British proprietors, leaving many Island farmers as tenants. Ottawa's promise to finance the purchase of these lands from absentee proprietors — finally resolving a conflict dating to the original 1767 land lottery — was the critical concession that brought PEI into Confederation in 1873. The federal government also agreed to year-round communication with the mainland.