Collegiality, Compromise and Confederation: The 1864 Charlottetown Conference – SenCA+ Magazine
September 4, 2024
In the late 1800s, when other nations were taking shape at the end of a bayonet, Britain’s North American colonies were agreeing to terms of union over champagne and lobster — a very Canadian declaration of independence.
The hastily convened Charlottetown Conference of September 1864 brought together delegates representing the Province of Canada (today’s Ontario and Quebec), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to discuss political union.
George Brown, leader of the Reform Party in Canada West — today’s Ontario — gushed with optimism:
