List 5 problems facing the BNA
colonies in the 1850s
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Threat from the US
Loss of Trade with Britain
Movement of good between colonies
Fenians
Confederation
• Background:
– the idea of uniting the colonies had been considered
prior to 1864, however no single issue was strong
enough for the colonies to join
– by 1860 the British Gov't no longer wanted to defend
the colonies
– the United States threat of Annexation (taking over
the colonies) was real
• the US had almost 1m troops ready to fight
– several leaders emerged in the colonies who saw
Confederation as the solution to the problems
Trade
• the colonies could no longer rely on Britain
for Reciprocity (Free Trade)
– began to negotiate with the US for
Reciprocity
– a deal was signed that would last until 1864;
the colonies would lose all trade with the US
• in order to prepare for the end of
Reciprocity, the colonies needed create
trade amongst each other
In 1850 Canada desperately wanted Reciprocity with the
United States. What are some of the current concerns
regarding Free Trade?
Railways
• the colonies agreed to
build a railway connecting
them (to increase trade)
• Can. East & West
strongly supported the
railway because it gave
them a year round access
to the ocean
• the railway also made
Halifax a major port city
Threat from the United States
• US was involved in a bitter
Civil War in the 1860s
– Britain supported the
Confederate states in
the South
• the South was defeated by
the Northern states
• The North now wanted
revenge against Britain
– this threatened the
colonies
• the US also followed a
policy of Manifest Destiny
– the belief that the US
had the right to all land
in N.A.
Fenians
• Fenian Brotherhood was a
fraternal organization
dedicated to the establishment
of an independent Irish
Republic in the 19th and early
20th century
• Fenianism is symbolized by
two features
– Free Irish State (Erin Go
Bragh)
– This can only be achieved
by armed rebellion against
Britain
Fenian Raids
1866 - 1871
• Irish Fenians living in the US began
attacking Canadian forts to put pressure
on Britain to withdraw from Ireland
• Attacks were repelled, but they divided
many Irish-Canadians living in Upper
Canada
– Protestant Irish (Orange Order) were loyal to
Britain
– US gov’t did little to help the situation