A Hitchhicker's Guide to My Blog!

I have never used Blogger in the past and I pushed myself to be thorough in my exploration of the program's capabilities. I have created this blog in an attempt to demonstrate its potential as a teaching resource and as a locus of inspired learning.

Please do explore the Widgets and HTML additions including:

• Photo Slide Show: Found pictures on the web, imported them to Picsa (a Google photo program), and uploaded them onto the blog as a slide show (*Located on right-hand margin)
• Video Bar: Videos streamed directly on the site from YouTube (*Located at bottom of page)
• Commenting Options: On the final two posts, I have provided comments to demonstrate how the students would in turn comment on their peers' posts. To access past comments or to post your own, click on the link "(*#)comments". I have arranged for all comments to be forwarded via email to the group Gmail account so as to inform the group members of each new posting.
• Blog Archive: Displays content of blog in the format of an outline (*Located on right-hand margin)
• A voting poll on a content-related question (*Located on right-hand margin)
• Link back to EDCP 470 class website (*Located at bottom of page)

Critical Question Summary

Main Arguments

1. Was the formation of the confederation a legitimate response or solution to British colonial exploitation?
2. Did the creation of a confederation negatively or positively impact Canada and its peoples?
3. Why did Canada choose Confederation?
4.  Why would a colony want to join a confederation?
    

Issues explored in the process:

• Cost production
• Military considerations
• Is forming a confederation good for the majorities, but bad for the minorities? Or could a country can better defend itself when it's unified and would its economy grow due to joined taxes?
• A confederation supported the idea of nationalism, the people joined under one flag would be able to identify with something larger than themselves, something that would encourage them to make the sacrifices necessary for the greater good.

Was the formation of the confederation a legitimate response or solution to British colonialism?

Confederation: a league or alliance, a group of confederates especially of states more or less permanently united for common purposes.

Canada's confederation was first formed with Act of  Union in 1840. The British had great reservations about this dramatic increase in Canadian autonomy and the paralleled decline in British colonial power.

The British solution to this problem was to unite the regions by the Act of Union By uniting the two regions they establish more power over their problems such as creating more representative form of government.

Although the talk about the confederation start in 1846 the confederation did not start until the July 1, 1867 that include Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick because no political party in Canada had enough power to retain a majority for any extended amount of time until number of reformer and conservatives gather to create the Act of Union. 

• There were many factors that help influence the formation of confederation such as....
• Economical problems
• The United Stats army  
• The British army not being allies any more
• There would be better inter colony  would have better trade, military movements and transportation

The Maritime union that consist of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were one of the last colony to join but in 1864 during the spring the Maritime had a meeting. With John A. McDonald at the meeting he persuaded the Martimes to join because of the chance of the surviving against the powerful foes 

Did the creation of a confederation negatively or positively impact Canada and its peoples?

A meeting to determine if Canada should become a confederation

There are many advantages and disadvantages to becoming a confederation. One advantage is military strength as joining forces with another pre-country which in all probability has a military force of its own further enables a colony defend themselves. Another advantage in the joining of the colonies would be that there would only need to be one governor which would greatly increase their ability to make decisions. A disadvantage concerns the issue of debt as both colonies' deficits are consolidated. However, other countries or colonies might feel threatened by the new country's  power. With the joining of the colonies, their government money would be combined and it would have a so they could build more for their new country and they would receive more tax money from the people of their country. Becoming a confederation could be a disadvantage to minorities such as the French-Canadians, but it's good for the English-Canadians.

Why did Canada choose Confederation?

Canada chose confederation because of many reasons. Britain wanted to be less involved with governing the colonies because it took too much time and money. The ongoing problems between the french and the English needed to stop. Thus, having one government with both groups in it would solve these problems. Having one government instead of 6 separate governments would give the colony more power as the strength of the colony increase. This would solve the problems with the U.S. The U.S was a big threat to Canada at that time. The U.S was very strong and wealthy. Their numbers of soldiers out numbered the soldiers of Canada if all the colonies were separate. With the power that they had they were planning on taking control over Canada. They needed to cooperate together to defend Canada.
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With confederation they would have better trade between each colony. They would build railroads between each colony which will help with trades and defense. The railroads would be able to transport troops around. Some colonies wanted to join because they had dept and wanted to get rid of that debt.