The year 1867 is perhaps Canada’s best known year historically, for it is the year we became a country, independent and free. However confederation did not begin as an idea in 1867, but rather a few years prior to 1867. A number of factors, often related, had led people in the 1860’s to believe that the B.N.A colonies needed to join. These factors were known as the reasons for confederation are the following: 1) Political
Deadlock, 2) The Railway, 3) Economic Necessity, 4) American Threat, 5) British Attitude and 6) Expanding
Westward. This essay will attempt to explain each of these reasons and how each had its own influence on our confederation. The first reason for confederation is Political Deadlock. Beginning in 1841 with the Act of Union and continuing into the 1860’s, Canada East and Canada West were united as the province or colony of Canada, each side were given the same number in seats in the Legislative assembly. Each English party was allied with a French party. Because each side had the same number of votes, it made it easy for one side to stop a bill that would benefitted the other side. This was because quite often the French, Canada East, often disagreed with the English, Canada West. Normally the conservatives from Canada West joined in voting with the Parti Bleu from Canada East as did the Liberals and the Parti Rouge. This meant that the votes were very close, 43­41. But because people didn’t always vote like the rest of their party and