Historedia
AmericasEvent

The British North America Act creates the Dominion of Canada

When
1867
Where
Parliament in Westminster; Dominion of Canada; Capital of the new country
Episodes
3

The British North America Act 1867 united the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into the Dominion of Canada. Royal assent occurred on March 29, 1867, with union effective July 1. Ottawa became the capital, and John A. Macdonald served as the first prime minister, establishing the foundational constitutional framework.

Episodes

  1. 1867 · Capital of the new countryEstablishment of Ottawa as Capital

    Ottawa became the capital of the new country in 1867, although the site was still incomplete.

  2. 1867-03-29 · Parliament in WestminsterRoyal Assent of the British North America Act

    Queen Victoria granted royal assent to the British North America Act on March 29, 1867, following its passage in Parliament.

  3. 1867-07-01 · Dominion of CanadaFormation of the Dominion of Canada

    The union of the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into the Dominion of Canada took effect on July 1, 1867.

Background and detail

Legislative Process. The British North America Act was drafted in London in early 1867. It passed the House of Lords and the House of Commons in March. Queen Victoria granted royal assent on March 29, 1867. The Act set July 1, 1867, as the date for union, creating the Dominion of Canada under the name of Canada.

Implementation. Ottawa became the capital of the new country in 1867. John A. Macdonald served as the first prime minister of Canada from 1867. The Act provided for the continuance of existing laws from the three colonies until new laws could be established in the Dominion, preventing a legislative vacuum.

People involved

Sources

  1. Canadian Confederation Wikipedia, revision of 2026-10-06
  2. John A. Macdonald Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-14
  3. Parliament Hill Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-02
  4. Constitution Act, 1867 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-09

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.