Perhaps the only other place in history where the idea of a democratic annexation has flourished besides Texas, Canadians have a long legacy of pro-annexation sentiment. Ever since the founding of the American union, this idea has existed in the minds of many Canadians, throughout the generations.

This idea is in fact older than Canada itself: It is older than the United States also! It all started with the Continental Congress, during which the founding fathers invited representatives of the Canadian colony to participate, in the hopes that we would join as America's 14th state.

Obviously, for reasons that are too numerous to encompass here, this has not yet happened. But what about the future? There is a saying, which stipulates that in order to recognize the future, we must first be able to understand our past. This is what this page of the "A" word section is all about.

Even if you aren't a Canadian or American, there is much historical trivia within this page, that can be of interest to people from anywhere. Those facts are often made available piece-meal all across the internets, here, they are grouped together in a linear historical timeline that truly helps establish context, like never before.

Article XI.

"Canada acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other colony shall be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by nine States."

The founding fathers had agreed on the desirability of including Canada as America’s 14^th state from the very start. They were indeed very optimistic about the prospect for such an event. In the course of the American war of independence, many letters were adressed to the Canadians, written in French, which basically arguments in favor of Canada’s inclusion. This exciting yet under-exposed portion of North American history is covered in the book “Missed Meeting With the American Revolution”.

The founding fathers intended a Swiss canton type agreement, where the linguistic and religious differences would not be an impediment to the establishment of commonly shared principles and values. In fact the American system is designed with specific powers delegated to the general government, and it is likely in the context of Canada’s possible inclusion that the constitution was forged in a way that specifically keeps control over linguistic related affairs to the respective states, rather than the federal government.

If you consult the “Flags” section of this website, you’ll soon notice that it is the States themselves that have legislated official languages (those that desire them), not the federal government, since it is not a part of it’s constitutional mandate. The American is hence “built-in” to accommodate Canada’s (or specifically Quebec’s) inclusion as a state because the founding fathers had the foresight to organize the system of government not according to linguistic or cultural prerogatives, but rather along the lines of commonly shared principles and values: Freedom, and restrained government. These topics will be covered in an upcoming section of this website, still in development, entitled “The Principles”.

As for Article Eleven, it is not itself legally binding for America today. There is however constitutional weight in the historical significance of the Articles of Confederation document, because they were used as legally valid documents to justify the perpetual nature of the Union. In this sense it could be effectively argued that this offer is still valid, considering it's explicit formulation. I personally believe that Americans should be consulted directly via a plebiscite, because adding Canada's provinces as states is such a big and permanently Union altering decision. Nevertheless Article Eleven is relevant and should be given consideration by congress if ever a Canadian province or Canada as whole signals a desire for such a combined union of our federations!

Excerpt of the Montreal Annexation Manifesto, submitted in November 1849 by the Annexation Association, of which Louis-Joseph Papineau was a prominent member.

http://www.mcgill.ca/files/maritimelaw/krieghoff.pdf

Alexandre Dufresne (April 20, 1818 – after 1877) was a merchant and political figure in Quebec. He represented Iberville in the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from 1861 to 1866. He was born in Beloeil, Quebec, the son of Jean-Baptiste Dufresne and Ursule Poirier. Dufresne established himself as a merchant at Christieville (later Iberville). He helped establish the Franco-Canadien in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. In 1843, he married Élizabeth Favelin. Dufresne was mayor of Iberville from 1858 to 1860, from 1873 to 1874 and from 1875 to 1877. Around 1864, he helped establish a branch of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society in the region. Dufresne ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Canadian House of Commons and the Quebec assembly in 1867.

The Annexation Bill of 1866 was probably the final straw in the lingering legacy of Canadian sympathy for the prospect of Annexation that led the British Empire to concede self-government to the people of Canada. Indeed since 1850, the American secretary of State had been an Annexation Supporter who felt strongly that this was the inevitable destiny of North Americans: The Annexation of British North America to the United States.

Wanting to pro-actively prepare the legal framework for a democratic annexation of Canada, should Canadians become serious advocates of this alternative for their political future, American annexationists worked feverishly to promote a bill that would lay the groundwork for a formal offer to Canadians. In 1865, General Banks introduced the Annexation Bill, which was passed in the United States House of Representatives in July of that year.

As you can read for yourself –the entire text of the bill is included below-, the Bill formally extended an invitation of Annexation to all Canadian provinces and territories, in consistence with the initial invitation which had been formulated by the founding fathers in the Articles of Confederation. The 1866 Bill specifically named each region of Canada so that no uncertainty could remain about the full extent of the invitation: Canada East, modern day Quebec, who was predominantly French-speaking and Catholic (and still is to this day), is clearly included in the proposed Bill.

It was less than a year later, and probably as a result of this pro-active stance of the Americans, that the British implemented the British North America Act of 1867. How much of this concession results from the desire to mitigate the incentive for Canadians joining America is unsure, but it is certainly a powerful factor that must have contributed to this decision to allow Canadians to enjoy the rights and protections procured by limited self-government. Canadians would still need to wait until the Statues of Westminster in 1931 before they could enjoy greater independence from the Imperial metropolis of London.

Source: Collections Canada

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confederation/023001-246-e.html

"Conditions today in Canada make for annexation rather than for imperial federation. The penetrative influence of trade by rail and coastal lines, the mental propensity of the two peoples living under the same or similar conditions, industrial and social, the constant inter-communication of Canadians and Americans are all powerful factors making for annexation."

Excerpt of the address delivered by Henri Bourassa at the Union League Club, Chicago, in October 1895.

"Bourassa 's conception of Canada s future status was that of an independent nation under the Crown, But such as his sense of impermanence that until well after the first World War he continued to speculate on the alternatives of annexation to the United States and imperial federation. Annexation ranked below imperial federation in his scale of preferences, but not so far below as to disqualify as a reasonable alternative."

Henri Bourassa is the founder of Quebec's reputed newspaper "Le Devoir" and was also the leader of the Nationalist League.

The Nationalist league emerged because of a resurgence of British Imperialism. Many French-Canadians were disgruntled by this policy which was forcing Canadians into unpopular foreign wars.

Much of the autonomy and independence which Canada had gained in 1867 resulting from the British North America Act was perceived to be an achievement obtained because of the constant rebellious attitudes which had surged in many waves since the American war of independence.

The nationalist League set itself to enact similar influence on Imperial policy by agitating for alternatives that would enable Canada to avoid participation in these wars. One such alternative was the concept of an Imperial Federation, in which Canadians would have their representation and voice in the Empire, so that if any war was declared, they would have their say. Another was to consider the possibility for an Annexation to the USA, which was still an isolationist country at that time. Eventually the group settled on an agenda of promoting greater autonomy for Canada within the Empire (from Wars) and for the provinces from Canada. The movement soon vanished, because aside from the Imperial participation in wars, Canadians now had -through the BNA act- the autonomy and the self-government they had longed for for so long.

The Annexation of Newfoundland to the British Empire, 1583.

He succeeded and became Newfoundland’s first provincial Premier. He later attempted to negotiate a free-trade deal with the United States but these efforts failed. Relations with America deteriorated progressively until a fishing crisis in Bonne Bay where Newfoundlanders clashed with Americans trying to bait on shore truly severed the ties of mutual sympathy that had existed up until that point. The idea of an Annexation of Newfoundland to America hence disappeared completely, and with its democratic annexation to Canada, Newfoundland was granted the lands of Labrador, which have provided it with venues to develop hydro-electric power.

There And Back Again, A Story By Newfoundland & Labrador.

Since the late 20^th century, Newfoundland has been emerging as a net energy exporter, thanks to it’s growing expertise and capabilities in off-shore oil drilling. With this economic boom came dissent in the relations with Ottawa, resulting from Ottawa’s imposition of royalties on the non-renewable revenues from oil exploitation.

A resurgence of regional identification has accompanied this degradation of the relations with Canada’s federal government. Many Newfoundlanders now fly the Newfoundland Tricolor, as a display of regional solidarity. This flag is itself inspired by the Irish national flag, a proud reminder of the Newfoundlanders distinctively Irish heritage. There was a sign that changing attitudes among Newfoundlanders might lead them to reconsider their options for self-determination: Newfoundland’s premier, Danny Williams, ordered the removal of all Canadians flags from government offices across the provinces, as a display of defiance against Canada’s federal government.

The same Newfoundland premier later shocked the American ambassador when he jokingly asked him, in an unscripted outburst smack in the middle of an official press conference, where some of the reporters were broadcasting live feeds:

“Does America need a 51st state by any chance?”

Perhaps Newfoundlanders can indeed be convinced that a democratic annexation of their province as a State to America is in their best interest after all!