The Canadian Confederation

The Canadian Confederation

The Charlottetown Conference

September 1-9, 1864

In the spring of 1864, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island were contemplating the possibility of Maritime Union. Resolutions had been passed in their legislatures to appoint delegates to a conference on the matter, but no further plans were made until the Province of Canada heard of the proposed conference. The Province had problems of its own, springing from the legislative union of Canada East and Canada West. Members of the combined legislature requested permission to attend the meeting of the colonies, in order to raise the larger subject of British North American union, something they saw as a solution to their difficulties.

The Maritime colonies had therefore to plan a conference for the Canadians to attend, and to appoint their own delegates. It was decided, after much deliberation, to hold the meetings in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, beginning on September 1, 1864. Representatives were appointed from the Province of Canada as well as from the three Maritime colonies that had originally discussed union. Newfoundland asked belatedly (on August 18th) if it might attend, but by then there was not enough time left to organize a delegation.

First to arrive in Charlottetown was Robert Dickey of Nova Scotia, on August 30th. His four fellow delegates, led by Charles Tupper, arrived by steamer on the afternoon of August 31 and