Part 6: Confederation and Building a Nation (1867–1885)
Reading time: 22–28 minutes
On July 1, 1867, a new country was born. After years of political debate, economic uncertainty, and concerns about American expansion following the U.S. Civil War, the colonies of British North America united to form the Dominion of Canada.
Confederation was only the beginning. Over the next two decades, Canada expanded from four provinces to include much of the continent, negotiated the entry of new provinces, built a railway across thousands of kilometres of wilderness, and established institutions that still serve the country today. It was also a period marked by conflict, particularly with the Métis and First Nations, whose rights, lands, and ways of life were profoundly affected by westward expansion.
Timeline
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1867 | Confederation and the British North America Act |
| 1867 | Sir John A. Macdonald becomes Canada’s first Prime Minister |
| 1870 | Manitoba joins Confederation |
| 1869–1870 | Red River Resistance |
| 1871 | British Columbia joins Canada |
| 1873 | Prince Edward Island joins Canada |
| 1873 | North-West Mounted Police established |
| 1881 | Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway accelerates |
| 1885 | North-West Resistance |
| 1885 | The Last Spike is driven |
51. Confederation Creates the Dominion of Canada (1867)
What Happened?
On July 1, 1867, the British North America Act came into effect, creating the Dominion of Canada.
The original four provinces were:
- Ontario
- Quebec
- Nova Scotia
- New Brunswick
The new country adopted a federal system of government, dividing powers between the federal Parliament and the provincial legislatures.
Why It Matters
Confederation marked the birth of modern Canada. While still part of the British Empire, the new Dominion gained significant control over its own domestic affairs and established the constitutional framework that continues to govern Canada today.
52. Sir John A. Macdonald Becomes Canada’s First Prime Minister (1867)
Following Confederation, Sir John A. Macdonald became Canada’s first Prime Minister.
Macdonald believed Canada’s future depended on three major goals:
- Expanding westward
- Building a transcontinental railway
- Encouraging immigration
His government introduced the National Policy, promoting protective tariffs and industrial development.
Lasting Impact
Macdonald remains one of Canada’s most influential—and most debated—historical figures. While he played a central role in creating Canada, historians also examine his government’s treatment of Indigenous peoples, including policies related to residential schools and westward expansion.
53. Manitoba Joins Confederation (1870)
The transfer of Rupert’s Land from the Hudson’s Bay Company to Canada created uncertainty among the Métis people of the Red River Settlement.
Led by Louis Riel, the Métis formed a provisional government to negotiate terms for joining Confederation.
The resulting Manitoba Act created the Province of Manitoba.
Why It Matters
Manitoba became Canada’s fifth province and recognized certain Métis rights, although many promised land protections were later undermined or delayed, contributing to future tensions.
54. The Red River Resistance (1869–1870)
As Canadian surveyors entered Red River before negotiations had concluded, Métis residents feared losing their lands, language, religion, and political influence.
Louis Riel organized resistance to ensure the community had a voice in Canada’s expansion westward.
Although negotiations ultimately resulted in Manitoba entering Confederation, divisions remained.
Interesting Fact
The Red River Resistance is now widely understood as a political movement to defend Métis rights rather than simply a rebellion, reflecting evolving historical perspectives.
55. British Columbia Joins Canada (1871)
British Columbia agreed to join Confederation after the federal government promised to build a railway connecting the Pacific Coast to eastern Canada within ten years.
This promise convinced many residents that joining Canada offered greater economic opportunities than remaining a separate British colony.
Lasting Impact
British Columbia’s entry ensured Canada would stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific, making it a truly transcontinental nation.
56. Prince Edward Island Joins Confederation (1873)
Although Prince Edward Island had hosted the first Confederation conference in 1864, it initially chose not to join the new Dominion.
Financial difficulties caused by railway construction eventually persuaded the island to enter Confederation.
The federal government agreed to:
- Assume the colony’s debts
- Purchase absentee landlords’ estates
- Improve transportation links
Why It Matters
Prince Edward Island became Canada’s seventh province and strengthened the unity of the Maritime region.
57. The North-West Mounted Police Are Established (1873)
The federal government created the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) to establish law and order in the vast western territories.
Their responsibilities included:
- Policing settlements
- Reducing the illegal whisky trade
- Maintaining peace
- Assisting with treaty implementation
- Supporting the expansion of Canadian authority
Lasting Impact
The NWMP eventually evolved into today’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), one of Canada’s best-known national institutions.
58. The Canadian Pacific Railway Begins to Unite the Country (1881)
Construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) accelerated during the early 1880s.
Building the railway required extraordinary effort.
Workers faced:
- Mountain ranges
- Dense forests
- Deep river valleys
- Harsh winters
- Dangerous blasting operations
Thousands of labourers, including many Chinese workers in British Columbia, helped complete the railway under extremely hazardous conditions.
Interesting Fact
More than 15,000 Chinese labourers worked on the western section of the railway. Many suffered injuries or lost their lives during construction while receiving lower wages than many other workers.
59. The North-West Resistance (1885)
Continuing concerns over land rights, political representation, and economic hardship led many Métis in present-day Saskatchewan to once again seek Louis Riel’s leadership.
The North-West Resistance included several military engagements between Métis, some First Nations groups, and Canadian government forces.
The conflict ended with government victory.
Louis Riel was arrested, tried for high treason, and executed later that year.
Why It Matters
Riel’s execution deeply divided Canadians. Many English-speaking Canadians viewed him as a traitor at the time, while many French Canadians and Métis regarded him as a defender of minority rights. Today, Riel is widely recognized as a founding leader of Manitoba and an important figure in Canadian history.
60. The Last Spike Is Driven (1885)
On November 7, 1885, railway executive Donald Smith drove the ceremonial Last Spike at Craigellachie, British Columbia.
The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway connected Canada from coast to coast for the first time.
The railway:
- Accelerated settlement
- Encouraged trade
- Linked distant communities
- Strengthened national unity
- Improved military mobility
- Helped fulfill the promise made to British Columbia
Lasting Impact
The CPR became one of the defining symbols of Canadian nation-building and remains one of the greatest engineering achievements in Canadian history.
Life in Canada After Confederation
By the mid-1880s, Canada was changing rapidly.
Growing communities featured:
- Railway stations
- Telegraph offices
- Grain elevators
- Sawmills
- Banks
- Schools
- Newspapers
Farmers settled the Prairies, logging expanded in Ontario and British Columbia, fisheries thrived in the Maritimes, and manufacturing continued to grow in central Canada.
The nation’s population exceeded 4 million people, and settlement continued to push westward.
Did You Know?
- Canada covered nearly 10 million square kilometres, making it one of the largest countries in the world.
- The Canadian Pacific Railway spans more than 4,800 kilometres from Montréal to the Pacific Coast.
- The original North-West Mounted Police wore scarlet tunics partly to distinguish themselves from the blue uniforms of the U.S. Army.
- Louis Riel was formally recognized by Parliament in 1992 as an important founder of Manitoba.
- The completion of the railway reduced cross-country travel from months to just days.
Key Takeaways
Between 1867 and 1885, Canada evolved from a new federation into a nation stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Coast. Confederation created a constitutional framework that still governs the country, while new provinces joined the Dominion and national institutions such as the North-West Mounted Police were established. The construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway physically united the country, but westward expansion also brought profound challenges and injustices for the Métis and First Nations.
These years laid the foundations for Canada’s growth into a modern nation—one defined by both remarkable achievement and difficult chapters that continue to shape national conversations today.
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