Once the Dominion of Canada was created, the federal government set its sights on the lands to the west. The government implemented a law to assimilate Indigenous peoples living on these lands. Cohabitation between settlers and Indigenous communities was conflictual as a result.
In 1873, the country was also hit by a serious economic crisis. John A. Macdonald proposed the National Policy to improve the situation. At the same time, relationships between the federal government and the provincial governments were tense, and the provinces made several demands on Ottawa for greater independence.
During this period, nearly half a million French Canadians settled in the USA to find work. At the same time, thousands of European immigrants, mostly from the United Kingdom, came to live in Canada.
Social inequalities still existed. Although women had jobs and founded associations, they did not have the same rights as men in the new federation.
To find out more about the Dominion of Canada (1873 to 1896), see the following concept sheets:
