COMPAS.com – On July 1, 1867, the three British colonies merged to form Canada.
Currently, July 1 is celebrated as canada day or Canada Day.
By most people, canada day It is believed and celebrated as Canada’s Independence Day.
Currently, canada day It is one of the national holidays in Canada.
However, on July 1, 1867, Canada could not truly be said to have achieved full independence.
July 1, 1867 is more accurately referred to as the anniversary or founding of Canada. So when is Canada’s Independence Day? Here is the history.
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Colonial Canada
Canada is a federation of North America which currently consists of 10 provinces and three territories.
In ancient times, the region that is now Canada was inhabited by the Iroquois and other native tribes.
It was not until the end of the 15th century that colonialism began with the arrival of Europeans.
France became the first foreign nation to establish colonies on Canadian territory in 1604.
The French movement was followed by the United Kingdom, which established colonies in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and Hudson Bay.
The Iroquois helped Europeans navigate waterways and jungles. Instead, they traded fur which was later traded for European goods.
At the same time, the arrival of Europeans also threatened the lives of the native population.
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This was due to the diseases brought by the Europeans and the fur trade which, in its development, triggered conflicts between the native population and the immigrants.
Additionally, European colonizers also began to fight for land in Canada. The consequences of the conflict were the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), which the British eventually won.
The birth of Canada
In the middle of the 19th century, present-day Canada was divided into three British colonies, namely the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Fueled by fears of possible American aggression and economic motives, colonial politicians and the public began to entertain the idea of merging the three colonies into a single self-governing confederation.
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With British support, representatives of the colonies began to negotiate the unification of the territories in 1864.
In 1867, the British Parliament passed British North America Act or the Constitutional Act of 1867, and created a new state known as Domini Canada or Dominion of Canada.
Dominon or domini is a semi-independent state under the British Empire.
The Dominion can also be interpreted as an independent and self-governing country, but it is a member of the Commonwealth of the parent country, in this case England.
At that time, Canada consisted of four provinces, including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Meanwhile, the former Canadian province is divided into two provinces, namely Ontario and Quebec.
The law establishes the federal government and the formation of the provinces, as well as the basis of the constitution of Canada.
The constitution came into effect on July 1, 1867, which is now celebrated as Canada Day or Canada Day.
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Canada’s Journey to Independence
Although Canada is established, the journey to independence is not over.
The Act effectively only made Canada semi-independent from the British Empire, as the government did not yet have complete autonomy.
In its development, Canada is slowly becoming more and more independent.
During World War I, Canada and other British dominions, such as South Africa, sought formal recognition of its independence.
On December 11, 1931, the British Parliament gave this recognition, marked by the ratification of the Statute of Westminster.
Subsequently, on April 17, 1982, Canada formally adopted only its own constitution, independent of the interference of the British Parliament.
On this day, Queen Elizabeth II also declared Canada’s independence from the British Parliament. It was then that Canada officially obtained full sovereignty.
However, most Canadians consider the celebration of their country’s independence to be July 1, Canada Day or canada daywhich is actually the founding day of Canada.
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