Colonial Government

Much like other British possessions around the world, the two colonies were governed by a combination of appointed and elected men. A legislative assembly with 7 elected members existed on Vancouver Island from 1856, together with an appointed council that had to approve all laws enacted. At first BC had no legislative bodies whatsoever, likely because Britain lacked confidence in its largely transient mining population. In 1863 the mainland colony was granted a legislative council intended to have a gradually increasing proportion of elected as opposed to appointed members. The minority eligible to participate in political life by virtue of being male, British subjects, and property holders divided on several bases. Newcomers, particularly those from within British North America, resented the privileges enjoyed by senior officers associated with the HBC, whose position was buttressed by more recent arrivals from Britain to staff the colonial bureaucracies. Douglas was accused of favouring their interests, as well as that of Vancouver Island over the mainland. The two principal protagonists were Amor de Cosmos, a Nova Scotian, in Victoria and John Robson, an Ontarian, in New Westminster, both of whom used the newspapers they edited to make their points.

On Douglas's retirement in 1864, Britain appointed separate governors to the two colonies. They were replaced by a single governor in 1866, when the colonies were joined into the United Colony of British Columbia. The decline of the gold rush had decreased governmental revenues whereas the construction of the Cariboo Wagon Road left a large debt. Victoria became the capital of the new colony, but it was the mainland's legislative council, mostly appointed, that replaced Victoria's elected legislative assembly. BC's long-term status became much debated. The contingent allied with Britain was content with the existing situation, whereas newcomers from within British North America looked to entry into the new Dominion of Canada, created in 1867. The lack of representative and responsible government was deemed unacceptable. Yet others sought annexation to the US. Relationships with the self-confident nation to the south had never been easy. In 1859 disagreement over the location of the "main channel" dividing Vancouver Island from the US had led to an open confrontation over San Juan Island, dubbed the Pig War. The matter was sent to an arbitrator, who eventually awarded the island to the Americans. In 1867 the expansionist US purchased Alaska, making it appear almost inevitable to some that the British colony would become its next possession. A leading BC politician, John Sebastian Helmcken, later recalled how local Americans "boasted that they had sandwiched B. Columbia and could eat her up at any time!!!" Sympathetic merchants in Victoria prepared two petitions requesting annexation and sent them to the US Congress, which debated the matter briefly. It was likely the presence of the Royal Navy base at Esquimalt that kept Britain from bargaining away its remote and not much wanted possession.

Britain favoured BC's becoming part of Canada and in 1869 named a new governor, Anthony Musgrave, with a mandate to achieve that option. The handful of men who dominated local politics had to be convinced, and the formal proposal that Musgrave cajoled out of the legislative council in Apr 1870 contained such bold demands for entry into Confederation that they were considered likely to be rejected. It was events elsewhere that caused them to be accepted. Britain had already arranged for the large territory located between BC and Ontario that was loosely under HBC supervision to be transferred to the new Dominion. Canada's control over the fur trade colony at Red River, which became the province of Manitoba in 1870, was soon challenged by local Metis under the leadership of Louis Riel. These factors made the BC delegation's demands that a wagon road be built and that Canada pick up the colony's large debt and assume a larger population base for future per capita grants than actually existed, appear not preposterous but quite reasonable. The wagon road was even upgraded to a railway to be constructed within the decade, as much to ensure control over the prairies as to appease BC. The delegation had no choice but to accept the terms of union, and on 20 July 1871 BC joined the Canadian Confederation.Much like other British possessions around the world, the two colonies were governed by a combination of appointed and elected men. A legislative assembly with 7 elected members existed on Vancouver Island from 1856, together with an appointed council that had to approve all laws enacted. At first BC had no legislative bodies whatsoever, likely because Britain lacked confidence in its largely transient mining population. In 1863 the mainland colony was granted a legislative council intended to have a gradually increasing proportion of elected as opposed to appointed members. The minority eligible to participate in political life by virtue of being male, British subjects, and property holders divided on several bases. Newcomers, particularly those from within British North America, resented the privileges enjoyed by senior officers associated with the HBC, whose position was buttressed by more recent arrivals from Britain to staff the colonial bureaucracies. Douglas was accused of favouring their interests, as well as that of Vancouver Island over the mainland. The two principal protagonists were Amor de Cosmos, a Nova Scotian, in Victoria and John Robson, an Ontarian, in New Westminster, both of whom used the newspapers they edited to make their points.

On Douglas's retirement in 1864, Britain appointed separate governors to the two colonies. They were replaced by a single governor in 1866, when the colonies were joined into the United Colony of British Columbia. The decline of the gold rush had decreased governmental revenues whereas the construction of the Cariboo Wagon Road left a large debt. Victoria became the capital of the new colony, but it was the mainland's legislative council, mostly appointed, that replaced Victoria's elected legislative assembly. BC's long-term status became much debated. The contingent allied with Britain was content with the existing situation, whereas newcomers from within British North America looked to entry into the new Dominion of Canada, created in 1867. The lack of representative and responsible government was deemed unacceptable. Yet others sought annexation to the US. Relationships with the self-confident nation to the south had never been easy. In 1859 disagreement over the location of the "main channel" dividing Vancouver Island from the US had led to an open confrontation over San Juan Island, dubbed the Pig War. The matter was sent to an arbitrator, who eventually awarded the island to the Americans. In 1867 the expansionist US purchased Alaska, making it appear almost inevitable to some that the British colony would become its next possession. A leading BC politician, John Sebastian Helmcken, later recalled how local Americans "boasted that they had sandwiched B. Columbia and could eat her up at any time!!!" Sympathetic merchants in Victoria prepared two petitions requesting annexation and sent them to the US Congress, which debated the matter briefly. It was likely the presence of the Royal Navy base at Esquimalt that kept Britain from bargaining away its remote and not much wanted possession.

Britain favoured BC's becoming part of Canada and in 1869 named a new governor, Anthony Musgrave, with a mandate to achieve that option. The handful of men who dominated local politics had to be convinced, and the formal proposal that Musgrave cajoled out of the legislative council in Apr 1870 contained such bold demands for entry into Confederation that they were considered likely to be rejected. It was events elsewhere that caused them to be accepted. Britain had already arranged for the large territory located between BC and Ontario that was loosely under HBC supervision to be transferred to the new Dominion. Canada's control over the fur trade colony at Red River, which became the province of Manitoba in 1870, was soon challenged by local Metis under the leadership of Louis Riel. These factors made the BC delegation's demands that a wagon road be built and that Canada pick up the colony's large debt and assume a larger population base for future per capita grants than actually existed, appear not preposterous but quite reasonable. The wagon road was even upgraded to a railway to be constructed within the decade, as much to ensure control over the prairies as to appease BC. The delegation had no choice but to accept the terms of union, and on 20 July 1871 BC joined the Canadian Confederation.