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on July 1； 1873； Prince Edward Island entered Confederation。
While Prince Edward Island was deciding to come in； Nova Scotia was straining every nerve to get out。 There was no question that Nova Scotia had been brought into the union against its will。 The provincial Legislature in 1866； it is true； backed Tupper。 But the people backed Howe； who thereupon went to London to protest against the inclusion of Nova Scotia without consulting the electors； but he was not heeded。 The passing of the Act only redoubled the agitation。 In the provincial election of 1867； the anti…Confederates carried thirty…six out of thirty…eight seats。 In the federal election Tupper was the only union candidate returned in nineteen seats contested。 A second delegation was sent to London to demand repeal。 Tupper crossed the ocean to counter this effort and was successful。 Then he sought out Howe； urged that further agitation was useless and could only bring anarchy or； what both counted worse； a movement for annexation to the United States； and pressed him to use his influence to allay the storm。 Howe gave way； unfortunately for his own fame； he went further and accepted a seat in the federal Cabinet。 Many of his old followers kept up the fight； but others decided to make a bargain with necessity。 Macdonald agreed to give the province 〃better terms；〃 and the Dominion assumed a larger part of its debt。 The bitterness aroused by Tupper's high…handed procedure lingered for many a day； but before the first Parliament was over； repeal had ceased to be a practical issue。
Union could never be real so long as leagues of barren； unbroken wilderness separated the maritime from the central provinces。 Free intercourse； ties of trade； knowledge which would sweep away prejudice； could not come until a railway had spanned this wilderness。 In the fifties plans had been made for a main trunk line to run from Halifax to the Detroit River。 This ambitious scheme proved too great for the resources of the separate provinces； but sections of the road were built in each province。 As a condition of Confederation； the Dominion Government undertook to fill in the long gaps。 Surveys were begun immediately； and by 1876； under the direction of Sandford Fleming； an engineer of eminence； the Intercolonial Railway was completed。 It never succeeded in making ends meet financially； but it did make ends meet politically。 In great measure it achieved the purpose of national solidification for which it was mainly designed。
Meanwhile the bounds of the Dominion were being pushed westward to the Pacific。 The old province of Canada； as the heir of New France； had vague claims to the western plains； but the Hudson's Bay Company was in possession。 The Dominion decided to buy out its rights and agreed； in 1869； to pay the Company 300；000 pounds for the transfer of its lands and exclusive privileges； the Company to retain its trading posts and two sections in every township。 So far all went well。 But the Canadian Government； new to the tasks of empire and not as efficient in administration as it should have been； overlooked the necessity of consulting the wishes and the prejudices of the men on the spot。 It was not merely land and buffalo herds which were being transferred but also sovereignty over a people。
In the valley of the Red River there were some twelve thousand metis； or half…breeds； descendants of Indian mothers and French or Scottish fathers。 The Dominion authorities intended to give them a large share in their own government but neglected to arrange for a formal conference。 The metis were left to gather their impression of the character and intentions of the new rulers from indiscreet and sometimes overbearing surveyors and land seekers。 In 1869； under the leadership of Louis Riel； the one man of education in the settlement； able but vain and unbalanced； and with the Hudson's Bay officials looking on unconcerned； the metis decided to oppose being made 〃the colony of a colony。〃 The Governor sent out from Ottawa was refused entrance； and a provisional Government under Riel assumed control。 The Ottawa authorities first tried persuasion and sent a commission of three； Donald A。 Smith （afterwards Lord Strathcona）； Colonel de Salaberry； and Vicar General Thibault。 Smith was gradually restoring unity and order； when the act of Riel in shooting Thomas Scott； an Ontario settler and a member of the powerful Orange order； set passions flaring。 Mgr。 Tache； the Catholic bishop of the diocese； on his return aided in quieting the metis。 Delegates were sent by the Provisional Government to Ottawa； and； though not officially recognized； they influenced the terms of settlement。 An expedition under Colonel Wolseley marched through the wilderness north of Lake Superior only to find that Riel and his lieutenants had fled。 By the Manitoba Act the Red River country was admitted to Confederation as a self…governing province； under the name of Manitoba； while the country west to the Rockies was given territorial status。 The Indian tribes were handled with tact and justice； but though for the time the danger of armed resistance had passed； the embers of discontent were not wholly quenched。
The extension of Canadian sovereignty beyond the Rockies came about in quieter fashion。 After Mackenzie had shown the way； Simon Fraser and David Thompson and other agents of the NorthWest Company took up the work of exploration and fur trading。 With the union of the two rival companies in 1821； the Hudson's Bay Company became the sole authority on the Pacific coast。 Settlers straggled in slowly until； in the late fifties； the discovery of rich placer gold on the Fraser and later in the Cariboo brought tens of thousands of miners from Australia and California； only to drift away again almost as quickly when the sands began to fail。
Local governments had been established both in Vancouver Island and on the mainland。 They were joined in a single province in 1866。 One of the first acts of the new Legislature was to seek consolidation with the Dominion。 Inspired by an enthusiastic Englishman； Alfred Waddington； who had dreamed for years of a transcontinental railway； the province stipulated that within ten years Canada should complete a road from the Pacific to a junction with the railways of the East。 These terms were considered presumptuous on the part of a little settlement of ten or fifteen thousand whites； but Macdonald had faith in the resources of Canada and in what the morrow would bring forth。 The bargain was made； and British Columbia entered the Confederation on July 1； 1871。
East and West were now staked out。 Only the Far North remained outside the bounds of the Dominion and this was soon acquired。 In 1879 the British Government transferred to Canada all its rights and claims over the islands in the Arctic Archipelago and all other British territory in North America save Newfoundland and its strip of Labrador。 From the Atlantic to the Pacific； and from the forty…ninth parallel to the North Pole； now all was Canadian soil。
Confederation brought new powers and new responsibilities and thrust Canada into the field of foreign affairs。 It was with slow and groping steps that the Dominion advanced along this new path。 Thenas nowfor Canada foreign relations meant first and foremost relations with her great neighbor to the south。 The likelihood of war had passed。 The need for closer trade relations remained。 When the Reciprocity Treaty was brought to an end； on March 17； 1866； Canada at first refrained from raising her tariff walls。 〃The provinces；〃 as George Brown declared in 1874； 〃assumed that there were matters existing in 1865…66 to trouble the spirit of American statesmen for the moment； and they waited patiently for the sober second thought which was very long in coming； but in the meantime Canada played a good neighbor's part； and incidentally served her own ends； by continuing to grant the United States most of the privileges which had been given under the treaty free navigation and free goods； and； subject to a license fee； access to the fisheries。〃
It was over these fisheries that friction first developed。* Canadian statesmen were determined to prevent poaching on the inshore fisheries； both because poaching was poaching and because they considered the fishery privileges the best makeweight in trade negotiations with the United States。 At first American vessels were admitted on payment of a license fee； but when； on the increase of the fee； many vessels tried to fish inshore without permission； the license system was abolished； and in 1870 a fleet of revenue cruisers began to police the coast waters。 American fishermen chafed at exclusion from waters they had come to consider almost their own； and there were many cases of seizure and of angry charge and countercharge。 President Grant； in his message to Congress in 1870； denounced the policy of the Canadian authorities as arbitrary and provocative。 Other issues between the two countries were outstanding as well。 Canada had a claim against the United States for not preventing the Fenian Raids of 1866； and the United States had a much bigger bill against Great Britain for neglect in permitting the escape of the Alabama。 Some settlement of these disputed