The Confederation of Canada was largely a defensive act prompted by fear of the United States. The architects recognized that a fragmented British North America risked being overtaken or becoming a battleground. With the end of the American Civil War, diminishing British interest, and tensions heightened by Fenian attacks, the Confederation aimed to protect British institutions north of the US border.
The agreement that established the Dominion was far from unanimous, however. In 1867, outside of Lower Canada, there was no “Canadian” identity; the Dominion became a loose federation of colonies struggling to resist American influence. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland rejected the union. In Halifax, July 1, 1867, was marked by mourning, with black ribbons hanging from trees in protest. The Dominion was formed with less political unity than we see today, yet a more compromising purpose drove it than is evident now.
But if fear built the walls, commerce was supposed to fill the halls. The British North America Act of 1867 promised free movement of goods within and the creation of a genuine economic union. Alas, 158 years later, that promise is unfulfilled.
