Commonwealth of Canada

-sent by British Isles under British Wars > Popular Revolution (1827-9) system to rationalize Canadian administration

-subsequent Upper Canada charter far-reaching, conceding even an elected governor (with only tariffs off-limits) but also with a permanent commissioner to Upper Canada

1832 def. John Strachan (Bureaucratic)

-is a very chaotic tenure in which Willcocks has to herd massively divided parliament

1836 def. Joseph Willcocks (Administration Radical), William Lyon Mackenzie (Retrencher Radical), Allan MacNab (Bureaucratic)

-with the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act under American Presidents > 1837-1845 Zebulon Pike (Old Republican, then People's) Baldwin issues proclamation that he will not observe deportation of freedmen

-results in trickle of freedmen moving to Canada and rise of a Colored Canadian minority

1840 def. William Warren Baldwin (Moderate)

-opens up Canada to massive American immigration by establishing Homestead Act

-however, bans banks in Upper Canada, esp Bank of Upper Canada

-on basis of Scottish antipathy with subject

-and also bans limited liability companies

-also refuses all loans to get new stuff constructed

-in practice, this results in collapsed economy and mass controversy

-broken party defeated

1844 def. Peter Perry (Pro-Bank Radical), William Lyon Mackenzie (Anti-Bank Radical)

1848 def.

1852 def. Francis Hincks (Moderate), Peter Perry (Democratic Radical)

-leads strange coalition based on anti-Catholicism and support of American-style elective institutions

-however is blocked by Parliament in everything he wants to do

1856 def.

1860 def.

1864 def.

1868 def.

-sees opening of Liberty and Union War (1868-76)

-and many Canadians enlist, especially people descended from US migrants

-in total, about 200,000 Canadians have fought almost entirely on Constitutional Government side of the war

-this is in violation of pan-British neutrality laws

-especially in opposition to government of Heads of British Isles > 1869-1876 Thomas Baring (Moderate) which supports Richmondite side

-results in a few court cases that go all the way to the Supreme Court of Judicature in British Isles

-but that's it because Canadians oppose it generally and war has a lot of Canadian support

-with impossibility of creating railroad through Canadian shield, he decides the war is a good opportunity to build rail links with Assiniboia

-signs treaty with Constitutional Government giving Canada right to use railroad in US territory and also transport troops in return for funds to help US build railroad (American Infrastructure > Pembina Pacific Railroad)

-approved as joint resolution in Parliament in Toronto

-despite rankling in British Isles which is tempted to use Commissioner's emergency powers to veto it reluctantly accepts this as a fait accompli

-especially since British money also goes into railroad

-is extremely controversial since this might result in bad relations if Richmond Government wins the war

-court case on the law goes to Supreme Court of Judicature

1872 def. J. Sanfield Macdonald (Moderate)

1876 def.

1880 def.

-pending the Supreme Court nullifying treaty, it decides not to preempt it and continues

-provokes anti-imperial sentiment

-up to and including calls for independence

-under Heads of British Isles > 1876-1885 John Morley (Radical), the British formally concede to settler colonies the ability to engage in their own treaties

-Upper Canada immediately declares treaty reinstated

-talks emerge of establishing customs union with the US

-US forces Upper Canada to establish tariffs against the British Isles

-it agrees despite this essentially meaning Upper Canada closer to the US than its former colony

-with 1880 election and current prosperity O'Dea decides to rename Upper Canada to Canada

1884 def.

1888 def.

-with Antillean War (1880-4) another great number of Canadians volunteer

-helps to inspire another wave of Amerophilia

-Laurentian Republic > Laurentian Crisis (1886-8) being decided w/ little Canadian involvement results in O'Dea being deeply resentful

-opens up negotiations w/ British Isles

-concession of treaty powers achieved in its wake

-additionally new fear emerges that Canadian trade will be cut off

-and in the short term this results in economic chaos

-and so decides to boldly seek the creation of the North American Commercial Union with the United States of America

-sees economic boom over free trade achieved

1892 def.

1896 def.

-with French Wars > Fifth French War (1892-5) refuses to enter the war despite being part of British Empire

-doesn't feel any connection to these European events

-there is a small number of people who volunteer but refusal of calls to enter war

-in 1896 election wins, decides that's a mandate for independence

-and convenes constitutional convention shortly afterwards

-new convention declares Canada an independent state

1900 def.

-new constitution sees very much American-style constitution

-down to six-year term with one-term limit for presidency

-refuses attempts to establish some degree of federalism

-instead keeps appointed sheriffs

1906 def.

1912 def.

-respected economist

-successfully wins enough confidence over the Recessions > Panic of 1911 to win the recession

-however, economy continues to plummet

-in no small part because economy tied to US's economy

-and in part because wary of causing a deficit

1918 def.

-seeks economic policies based on Heads of Buenaventura > 1916-1925 Henry W. D. Bridges (Association of Workers and Peasants) policies

-succeeds and dramatically reshapes economy of Canada