Canada First Movement

Canada First Movement

Canada First Movement, political movement that originated in Canada in 1868 to promote national interests beyond the scope of the newly achieved confederation (see Confederation of Canada). The group grew out of a chance meeting in Ottawa of a handful of enthusiasts who were inspired by the success of the confederation project as set forth in the British North America Act, the basis for Canada's constitution. The five founders of the movement were H. J. Morgan, Charles Mair, R. J. Haliburton, G. T. Denison, and W. A. Foster. The term Canada First was first employed by Foster in a lecture entitled 'Canada First, or our New Nationality.' The movement shortly came under the influence of Goldwin Smith, an English historian and journalist, who settled in Toronto in 1871. Smith's advocacy of the separation of Canada from the United Kingdom, and his prophecy that Canada would ultimately be absorbed by the United States, made Canada First suspect in the eyes of many Canadians.

In the election of 1874, Canada First entered candidates as the Canadian National Association, presenting its aims in the Nation, a weekly newspaper. The party's program called for the establishment of a protective tariff and the right to negotiate treaties. The movement failed to develop into an organized political body, but important elements from its program were taken over by Canada's two major parties. The fundamental weakness of Canada First was its inability to make its program acceptable to French Canadians. (1)

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Notes and References

1. Encarta Online Encyclopedia

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Law is our Passion

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This entry was last updated: March 23, 2014