Why indeed? On the surface the British Columbia colony had a much better offer from the USA. They had closer ties, both culturally and economically with the USA and the USA had the promise of greater power and wealth.
But the people of British Columbia, other than those with power within a British dominated political system, had little say in the matter.
British Columbia joined to benefit a few political elite and have yet to hold a proper vote on joining Confederation. BC is not unique in this way, many other provinces joined for similar reasons.
In the case of BC there is a myth that they joined to get a railway. At the time BC would have liked a railway but their largest trading partner was south, not west. When the rail arrived from the west local manufacturing companies could not compete with the preferred status Eastern companies had with Eastern companies and many local BC companies went out of business. The real need for the railway was Canadian. Canada needed the railway to quickly transport troops to the West to address the all too often violent resistance to Canadian rule.
British Columbia Joined confederation on July 20th 1871July 20th 1871
Manitoba joined Confederation July 15, 1870. British Columbia joined Confederation July 20, 1871.
British Columbia, in 1871. Please see the link.
The three choices open to the colony of british columbia in 870-1871 were that British Columbia could remain a British colony, the colony could join the united states and that British columbia could join the canadian confederation.
They wanted to join Canada because: ~they wanted Canada to pay for the colonies debts. ~they wanted Canada to make payments to the new province every year.they wanted to!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Isn't it almost 138 years too late to be asking that question? British Columbia did join Canada. On July 20, 1871, British Columbia became the first colony to join Confederation, thereby becoming Canada's fifth province.
The tenth province to join Confederation in Canada was British Columbia, which became a part of Canada on July 20, 1871. Its entry into Confederation was influenced by the promise of a transcontinental railway, which would connect it to the rest of Canada. British Columbia's inclusion helped to solidify Canada's western expansion and integration.
The tenth province to join Canadian Confederation was British Columbia, which entered on July 20, 1871. Its accession was motivated by the promise of a transcontinental railway and the desire for economic stability and development. British Columbia became the westernmost province, significantly shaping Canada's geography and economy.
British Columbia's Fathers of Confederation include prominent figures such as Edward G. Prior, Amor De Cosmos, and John A. Macdonald. Edward G. Prior was a key advocate for joining Confederation, promoting the benefits of unity with Canada. Amor De Cosmos played a significant role in publicizing the advantages of Confederation and served as the province's second Premier. Their contributions were pivotal in British Columbia's decision to join Canada in 1871.
Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland did not join Confederation on July 1, 1867. Prince Edward Island joined on July 1, 1873, but Newfoundland did not join until March 31, 1949. British Columbia, which joined on July 20, 1871, was not involved in the initial discussions.
some people in British Columbia supported the idea because they wanted more control over their government. British Columbia had the advantage that if they would join the confederation the Canadian government would make them a railway from Nova Scotia to British Columbia
British Columbia did not join Confederation in 1867 primarily due to concerns over economic stability, infrastructure, and governance. The province was wary of being overshadowed by larger provinces and wanted assurances about the construction of a transcontinental railway to connect it with the rest of Canada. Additionally, BC's population was small, and many residents felt they had little to gain from joining a union at that time. It wasn't until 1871, after negotiations that addressed its concerns, that British Columbia joined Confederation.