History of Canadian confederation
Introduction
Written by Christopher Moore, the Tree Weeks in Quebec City is a graceful land an entertaining book for any Canadian person who has concerns about our country’s democracy. The book talks about long meetings which ends with genuine tension. Moore begins his story in 1864 with British north America comprising of colonies that are poor and are poorly administered including Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland. These colonies were united in a forced marriage of the now southern portion of Ontario and Quebec. A conference by the name Charlottetown had taken place in whereby delegates agreed to come together and see the formation of a federal state. the thirty-three men how had assembled in Quebec had a goal of forging a constitutional framework following their improbable and bold idea[1].
Representatives from five provincial legislatures had come to the city of Quebec to pertheuse unity of all the provinces of the British colonies in the North America. The American civil war was taking place and this encouraged the small provinces that were barely defended to have a consideration of coming in to unison for their mutual protection. Prince Edward had visited the British North America which is presently Canada which made the habitats of the colonies very much excited to see a celebrity for the first time in their land. There were constructions of new parliament that had started taking place in Ottawa which a sense of new change to the colonists with some thinking that it could be for the better while others while others disapproving the whole idea of confederation. Other factors that lead to these provinces coming together included the rapid railway expansion and the vision of steamship.
A time had come when there was need for a debate on the serious issues of the way a nation could be formed and the delegates who took part in the debate included, George Etienne, John Macdonald, George Brown and Cartier. The writer of the book “Three Weeks in Quebec City illustrates that Macdonald who became a future prime minister was not the most significant player among the delegates since he was a political man who enjoyed being in higher positions and that Canada could have become a very difficult place[2]. Cartier was longing for an independent French province that could offer protection of the French Canadians while George Brown had an interest in the extension of his control towards Western Canada. According to Moore, the legacy of the confederation was the issuance of power that comprised of strong provincial rights versus a federal body that was also strong. It is through this confederation that Canada has an elected house of commons, a parliament that is federal, an appointed senate and provincial legislatures that has now seen the system of checks and balance that did not work before the conference took place. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Writers perspective
Moore’s book hangs its narrative on small biographies inviting the reader to small dinners in which there is formation of alliances. Moore has an argument that of the Canadian founders, which suggest that the expansive nation of Canada is served best by a state containing powers that are not in the provinces but in the federal government, not in the office of the prime minister but rather in the parliament.
The arrival of the five delegations with both their opposition members and their governments was a demonstration of the founder’s dedication to parliamentary dedication. These delegates had a believe that important decisions and initiatives did not comprise the purpose of the executive. During their assemblies, these people looked down the opinion of the public as representatives were empowered by the parliamentary democracy to act responsibly on behalf of the citizens. The delegates had a thought that an operating and a well constituted parliamentary democracy constituted the protection that a citizen could require from a state and therefore they did not discuss any creation of bill of rights.
The assembly forged a constitutional framework that was a reflection of their fundamental belief with the longest debate for instance involves the senate[3]. This debate demanded that senators should ensure that undemocratic body enjoys ceremonial, dignified and advisory power. A senate that was neutered met their aim of aping bicameral parliament of the Britain as well as locating where in the elected house did real power belong.
The national government was awarded a list of powers that could ensure that it dominated with one of these powers being the ability to disallow laws that were provisional and that any new area of jurisdiction becoming a responsibility of the federal government. With Quebec in need of protecting its French traditions and culture, the Maritimes seeking to avoid swapping by the Canadians and the refusal of provinces by the Canadians, the decision of powers was a fine decision.
As indicated in the book, the confederation did not occur in vacuum since the writer points out that the American civil war was happening at the time with the actions of Britain and Canada for example the well-financed Canadian based confederate spy ring leading to perceived and real threats of the American reprisals. In the book, Moore mentions the Fenians of the Irish America yet he ignores the way their threats contributed to Maritime support for the confederation. In a similar manner, the writer given an attention to the growing power of a movement by the name Englander from Britain, a movement calling for the end of colonialism which rendered the idea of confederation an urgent necessity.in the Quebec City conference houses which saw the birth of confederation, the angry Americans and impatient Britain were the twin elephants and in papers and parliament where confederation was later debated[4].
Court cases started giving more power to the provinces a short while after the confederation although a lot of what had been created by the founders in Quebec for the three weeks remained in force.at the stat of 1960s, there was more power hording to the executive with some colonies like Macdonald, Tupper, Tilley and some others failing to recognize this but rather ranging it against the current balances of power in America.
The book Three Weeks in Quebec City is an invitation to readers to mourn the slow movement of Canada from its founding principles of parliamentary democracy that is centralist. At a time when current events and recent trends are leading many of Canadians to have a consideration of the state of their nation, the book gifts the reader a glimpse of its intentions whereby the writers valuable work and insight encourages the citizens to recover what had been lost and acquire what need to be won.
Lessons from the confederation
Canada came to being in the year 1867 during a confederation that had come about due to many economic and political pressures being exerted to federal union of colonies and the colonies. The confederation seemed to be a genuine practical method to deal with conflict and pressures. Even when confederation was a solution to many problems that were facing the colonies, the view of different colonies differed with some being pleased, some doubtful while others had hope for a prosperous future. In the Maritimes trade was important with the Britain offering its colonies a market for their goods, which was lost when Britain offered a policy for free trade. These raised concerns to the colonist that some colonies could unite with the United States
Without a question, the 1867 confederation act had a significant influence on status of the contemporary Canada as it led to the shaping of Canada as one of the most powerful countries economically and politically[5]. The confederation act saw making of the country that is more united, strong and independent. Among the several series that resulted to the Canadas confederation included such events like the encouragement that Britain had in uniting its colonies in the North America, with the key and central reason for the formation of the confederation being the fear of a potential inhabitance by Americans either through invasion or persuasion of the wide spread and divided British colonies of the North America. Another reason was the ability of the “fathers of confederation” in taking advantage of the colonies that were reluctant and persuading them to join the confederation.
Tension among the Yankees and the North American colonies of the Britain took course during the 1776 American Revolution, and when America won their freedom and independence from the rule by the British, it broke all the relations and the ties with British and their colonies that resided in Canada. Later in a centuries time, the American Civil War took place. At this time the united states were a union of several states ruled by a federal government although the constitution of the government was weak and the states were strong. This lead to eleven states of the south declaring their independence from the united states and started building their enemies.
Moore extracts the surviving of the sessions of the conference to compile the compromises and the decisions which gave shape to the system of the Canadian government existing today, with one of the issues reoccurring being the role of the senate. Today, Moore’s words of dignified, advisory, ceremonial and largely without powers remain with elected senators realizing that they might wield as political clouts leading to a generation of dreadlock and conflicts. The relegation of the senate to surboninate role was designed to offer protection of the smaller partners in the confederation. Moore was very much concerned about the provincial rights fearing that these provides would be insignificant and weak if there was no a strong senate to push for their regional interests. This was the bases for the events in the United States foiling his plans and stamping the Canadian federalism.
At the time when America was experiencing civil war, the builders of Canada were afraid that provinces that were strong could tear up Canada the same way in which North and South had been divided by strong states[6]. John Macdonald told his fellow delegated that they needed to concentrate their powers in the federal government and resist the decentralization of the United States, while another delegate by the name Chandler pointed out that proposing to make the provinces strong could see them repeating the mistakes of the American founders. Powers that were not illustrated in the constitution were ceded to the federal government while there was voting out of the New Brunswick. To date, the Atlantic Canada still struggles to have a voice in Ottawa although the provinces have not been washed away as it was the fear of some delegates. The Canadian federation has proved strong in withstanding regional protests and two votes calling for Quebec separation. With Canada celebrating its 151th anniversary in 2018, it is a clear indication that the delegates who had a conference in the Quebec City built it well.
The delegates who attended the conference in the Quebec City consisted of members who were elected and debated on the composition of the upper house and power in Canada, railway construction, trade and commerce western expansion among many other things issues that enabled Canada to form a sovereign country, that peacefully broke away from the United Kingdom of the delegates that were attending.
Relation to the contemporary world.
The birth of Canada was different from birth of any other nation as its creation was not achieved through revolution neither by war nor any popular uprising of the people. Its creation was Marely by a group of people who had a dream of a country that was promising and who made sure they achieved this through a process of negotiation. It is through confederation that rendered Canada independence and ensured that it became economically strong at a time when its citizen was afraid of the idea of the united states for manifest density hoping to take over all of North America. This was countered by confederation while in its tracks and together with the cancellation of the agreement to trade freely with all north America raised the economic status of Canada. Through the unity among the provinces, there was completion of the railway in Canada that saw increased trade among the provinces of Canada hence leading to a well-established marked for goods and increase in stability and economic growth of Canada.
Christopher Moore takes the reader into day –to-day-look at the three weeks of the activity that lead to of the BNA act of the year 1867, and Canada became a nation because of the people who gathered for a conference and the circumstances that resulted to the creation of the 72 resolutions[7]. At a time when everything is moving fast towards totalitarism and wing politics, this book appreciates Canada’s history and what it means for the nation to be what it is today. Moore gives a critical look of where Canada has come from and how far it has to go in its treatment of its first nations people, women and chines immigrants. The book reminds us about the ideals in which the county was built on and the aims that need to be put in mind moving forward.
Work cited
Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[1] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[2] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[3] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[4] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[5] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[6] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.
[7] Waite, P. B. (2006). Confederation Debates in the Province of Canada, 1865 (Vol. 206). McGill-Queen’s Press-MQUP.