Notes

Pg.151 #1,2,5
There were certain minority rights that were guaranteed in the BNA act of 1867. Some such as education rights for Catholics and for provinces. But the rights of some other minorities in Canada were not respected. Most of the time, minorities were expected to live by the will of the provincial or national majority. The government made a strong attempt to assimilate Aboriginal peoples into the Canadian culture. They tried to get them to give up their customs, traditions, languages, and religions. They were expected to transform into Canadians of specific backgrounds. Aboriginal peoples did not have an input in the confederation negotiations or the policies affecting them.
Most of the people in Nova Scotia were against Confederation. The province of Nova Scotia always viewed themselves as independent. But once the Confederation was signed, they lost their choice to make free decisions. Nova Scotia did not want to sign the agreement, because they knew that if they did, they would lose the freedom and intelligence they believed they had. On the other hand, provinces like Ontario, Quebec, and New Brunswick were relatively satisfied with Confederation. They wanted to unite in order to help prevent annexation of the United States.
There were many problems that arose within the first three years after Canada became a united dominion. One large debate arose as Nova Scotia fought hard to leave Confederation. They wrote petitions, argued with Provincial Legislature and even contacted the British government. Members of the anti-Confederation group travelled to Britain in hopes of getting the government to pull them out of Confederation. But they were told there was to be no release unless defined by the government of Canada. The anti-confederates decided to compromise and struck a deal. The yearly grants from the federal government to the provinces were increased by $20 000. Macdonald also asked Howe to become a member of the federal Cabinet. From there, the anti-confederation movement in Nova Scotia died down. Another case was with Upper Fort Garry. On November 2, 1962, the headquarters of the HBC were seized by the Metis National Committee. This made sure that the Metis had a position of strength. So the Canadian government set out to fix the problem. They called together a series of meetings and decided that Ruperts Land was to be transferred to Canadian Government. The Metis were unhappy and attacked the Canadians, leading the government to draw up the Metis Bill of Rights.

Pg.157 #1-4
The government of Canada was interested in Rupert’s Land for several reasons. First of all, there was not a lot of good farmland left to settle in the province of Ontario. Aspiring farmers started to look farther west for a place that would produce thriving crops. Second of all, the Canadian government’s goal was to expand from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. In order for the government to achieve that goal, the North west territories needed to become a part of Canada, quickly. The government felt, that if they did not take over quickly, the Americans would.



Pg. 159 #1



Pg. 160 #1



Pg. 162 #1-2



Pg. 163 #1,2,4




thanks mariam!