The Charlottetown Conference

Steps Towards Confederation

The Initial Conference

• In the summer of 1864 there was talk amongst the maritime colonies about joining together.

• They had been talking about this for several years.

Canada Approaches

• Out of the blue, Canada requested to be a part of the talks of a union.

• It seemed that the colony of Canada was making a serious move towards uniting all the colonies of British North America.

• New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia invited the Canadian politicians over for a conference.

I’m On A Boat!

• On August 29th 1864 a group of Canadian politicians took a trip on a boat called the Queen Victoria from Quebec City over to Prince Edward Island to meet with the political leaders of the maritime provinces.

• Their goal was to convince the opponents of confederation who still existed in the Atlantic.

The Politicians on Board

• John A. MacDonald, George Brown, George-Etienne Cartier, Alexander Galt and Thomas D’Arcy McGee.

The Conference

• For about a week the politicians of Canada carefully executed their plan to present their argument for a combined confederation with the upcoming maritime union.

• A newspaper out of Saint John, New Brunswick declared the Canadian politicians to be “almost irresistible” in their efforts.

The Delegates

Work & Play

• As well as the elaborate discussions that went on there was also plenty of opportunities for the delegates to have parties and other social events.

• One of the most important acts of hospitality by the Canadians was hosting a luncheon on the Queen Victoria.

• Many believed that confederacy was now in reach.

What’s Next?

• After finishing the conference in Charlottetown the Atlantic delegates set aside their previous idea of a Maritime Union.

• Following a convincing outing in Charlottetown, the Canadians suggested hosting a conference of their own, this time in Quebec City.

Next Stop: Quebec City!

• Next class we’ll see what happened in the second of three important conferences.