Great Coalition

The Great Coalition was a pivotal political alliance in Canadian history that united key figures from Canada West and Canada East. This coalition, formed in September 1864, brought together George Brown of the Clear Grits with John A. Macdonald and George Étienne Cartier of the Liberal-Conservatives. The primary goal was to address the political deadlock and to promote the unification of the British North American colonies.1

The coalition's leaders attended a conference in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, initially to discuss Maritime union. However, they successfully shifted the focus to a broader union of all of British North America. This led to an agreement in Quebec City in October 1864 to establish a federal union. The British government supported this initiative, seeing it as a way for the colonies to achieve self-governance and reduce Britain's defense obligations.1

Despite some initial resistance from certain colonies, the pressure from the Canadas and the British government eventually led to the union. In 1867, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Canadas (which became Ontario and Quebec) united as the Dominion of Canada under the British North America Act. This act served as Canada's constitution until 1982 and established a federal system dividing powers between the central government and the provinces.1