Canada鈥檚 first Prime Minister John A. Macdonald, standing 2nd from left. Macdonald had been elected in 1844 to the legislature of the British Province of Canada, becoming its first Premier in 1857, and playing a leading role in conferences regarding Confederation of July 1, 1867! He was then elected Prime Minister of the new Dominion of Canada. Meanwhile, from 1861 to 1865, south of the border a civil war had been raging between the North and the 麻豆视频 of the New England (American) colonies. There were some fears in Canada that once the fighting was over, the politicians with expansionist leanings of the New England colonies would turn their eyes northward, dreaming of possessing all the British territories of North America. An American journalist had coined the fanciful term 鈥淢anifest Destiny鈥� to describe this off and on dream --based on the idea that the American people were living the righteous and ideal democratic life and this philosophy should be spread throughout the whole continent. However, this philosophy was more difficult to sell聽 at war鈥檚 end in 1865, --it had hardly been an 鈥渋deal鈥� after both sides had suffered the devastation of war. But,聽 the Union鈥攖he North had some degree of anger towards Britain who had espoused neutrality at the beginning of the civil war, yet they had wanted to stay friendly with the 麻豆视频 (Confederacy), even though they did not agree with the 麻豆视频鈥檚 slavery practices. But money talks, and since the southern states were important cotton producers鈥攙ital for Britain鈥檚 textile commerce, the cotton trade carried on.聽 British ship builders constructed聽 warships for the 麻豆视频, passing them off as merchant ships. When the war was over, the victorious North made claims for damages on the basis of Britain鈥檚聽 covert involvement鈥攖hey had broken their promise of neutrality. At the Treaty meeting in Washington in 1871, it was deemed that Prime Minister J. Macdonald鈥檚 contribution in discussions and debates established the power of our new country. The results of the Treaty were seen to have been of major benefit for long term good relationships among the three countries.
聽Contact Terri Lefebvre Prince,
Heritage Researcher,
City of Yorkton Archives,
Box 400, 37 Third Avenue North
Yorkton, Sask. S3N 2W3
306-786-1722
[email protected]
