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History · Grades 9–12

Confederation and the growth of Canada

Study guide for Grades 9 to 12: 4 key ideas, including negotiating union, july 1, 1867 and growth; 2 worked examples and 3 practice questions. How four colonies became the Dominion of Canada in 1867, and how the country grew afterward.

One-page printable summary: Confederation and the growth of Canada · Revision sheet.

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Learn the idea

Negotiating union

Delegates met at Charlottetown and Quebec City in 1864 and in London in 1866 to work out the terms of union.

July 1, 1867

The British North America Act (now the Constitution Act, 1867) united Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Growth

Manitoba (1870), British Columbia (1871), Prince Edward Island (1873), Alberta and Saskatchewan (1905) and Newfoundland (1949) joined later; Nunavut became a territory in 1999.

Perspectives

First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples were not part of the negotiations, although their lands and lives were deeply affected.

Worked examples

Which four provinces formed Canada at Confederation on July 1, 1867?

The original four provinces were Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

Which act created the Dominion of Canada in 1867?

The British North America Act, 1867 created the new federation.

The British North America Act (now called the Constitution Act, 1867)

Check your understanding

  1. Which province joined Confederation in 1871 after being promised a railway link to the rest of Canada?

    1. Newfoundland
    2. Prince Edward Island
    3. British Columbia
    4. Manitoba

  2. Prince Edward Island hosted the 1864 conference but joined Confederation later. In which year did it join?

    1. 1905
    2. 1867
    3. 1949
    4. 1873

  3. Which was the last province to join Confederation?

    1. Newfoundland (1949)
    2. Manitoba (1870)
    3. Alberta (1905)
    4. Saskatchewan (1905)

Answers and marking notes

Answers and marking notes
  1. British Columbia

    British Columbia joined in 1871 on the promise of a transcontinental railway.

  2. 1873

    Prince Edward Island joined in 1873.

  3. Newfoundland (1949)

    Newfoundland, now Newfoundland and Labrador, joined in 1949.

How this page was made: written for StudyBrix with AI assistance from our own templates. Answers and worked examples are checked by automated tests, and grade bands are approximate, not an official curriculum alignment. See the editorial policy for corrections. Editorial policy