Key Concepts in Canadian Confederation & 19th-Century Politics

Representation by Population

Rep by Pop is an abbreviation of "representation by population." It means each member of the population has approximately the same degree of representation. Governments are for people, not acres or hectares.

Act of Union

The Act of Union was the British response to Lord Durham's report on the causes of the rebellions in Lower and Upper Canada in 1837-8. It joined Lower and Upper Canada into a united Province of Canada and renamed the parts Canada East and Canada West.

British North America Act

The British North America Act of 1867 (also called the Constitution Act) established the basic framework of the federal government of Canada and described what powers it would assume and what powers would be allocated to the Provinces. It is the original defining document of Canada.

Responsible Government

To have responsible government meant that the Executive Council had to obtain and maintain the support of a majority of members of the House of Assembly in order to govern the province.

Annexation Movement in British Columbia

In the late 1860s, British Columbia was the focus of a pro-American annexation movement. Its supporters were primarily Americans and immigrants of non-British ethnicity who lived in the colony but had no special ties to the British Crown. To annex is to add territory to oneself.

American Expansionism

At the time of Confederation, the United States was extending its territory westwards. Between 1864 and 1890, nine new states were created, four of which were on the Canadian border.

The British Preferential System

A tariff is a tax to pay on an import or export. The British government gave tariff protection to products imported from its colonies, whether from North America or elsewhere.

Senate

The Senate is a sober second thought to new legislation. It ensures that a radical party in power cannot change things too quickly. They are one of the checks and balances.

House of Commons

The House of Commons is the popularly elected component of Parliament, consisting of 308 members.

Manifest Destiny

A phrase coined in 1845, Manifest Destiny, expressed the philosophy that drove 19th-century U.S. territorial expansion. Manifest Destiny held that the United States was destined—by God, its advocates believed—to expand its dominion and spread democracy and capitalism across the entire North American continent.

'A Mari Usque Ad Mare'

Canada's official motto is A Mari Usque Ad Mare, which translates as "From Sea to Sea." It is also on our coat of arms.

Tariff

A tax made by governments, which is put on imports and sometimes exports.