"British North America and a Continent in Dissolution" : The American Civil War in the Making of Canadian Confederation

Between 1864 and 1873 the British colonies on the northen half of the North American continent were united into a new and larger colony that stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. One factor that led to the Confederation of the British North American colonies and the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867 was clearly the northern victory in the American Civil War, which permanently changed the balance of power on the North American continent. Canadian historians have been divided over precisely how important the American Civil War was among the other factors which led to the Confederation of Canada. This paper examines this historiographical debate and the recent research into the impact of the American Civil War in order to assess who has the better case.