Pathway to Confederation Charlottetown Conference The colonies of

Pathway to Confederation Charlottetown Conference

• The colonies of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were considering uniting under a central government • They agreed to meet in Charlottetown to discuss a Maritime union • Newfoundland was thought not to be interested in the union, so they were not invited to attend Charlottetown Conference

• The United Province of Canada (Canada East and West) heard about the meeting and asked to join the conference • They hoped to convince the Atlantic colonies to join with them in an even larger union • The official representative of Great Britain, Governor General Lord Monck, had to approve the meeting Charlottetown Conference

• The meeting took place on September 1, 1864 • Eight representatives from the United Province of Canada attended, and John A. Mac. Donald and George Etienne. Cartier acted as leaders • All representatives from the United Province of Canada argued that the Maritime union should become a British North American union Charlottetown Conference

• The representatives from the Atlantic colonies had mixed feelings about Confederation • The representatives from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick wanted to discuss Confederation, but were divided • Representatives from Prince Edward Island were opposed Charlottetown Conference

• The United Province of Canada promised that a new railway would be built joining Canada and the Atlantic colonies if a union was agreed upon • The conference ended with an agreement to consider a larger union, and another meeting would be held in a month in Quebec to work out the terms Charlottetown Conference