Dominion Newfoundland

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Dominion of Newfoundland
Dominion Newfoundland
1907-1934
Red Ensign
Coat of arms of Newfoundland and Labrador.png
flag
Official language English
Capital St. John's
Form of government Constitutional monarchy
Head of state Edward VII.
George V
Edward VIII.
George VI.
Head of government Robert Bond

Edward Morris
William Frederick Lloyd
Michael Patrick Cashin
Richard Squires
William Warren
Albert Hickman
Walter Stanley Monroe
Frederick C. Alderdice

surface 405,212 km²
currency Newfoundland dollar
founding September 26, 1907
National anthem Ode to Newfoundland
(Ode to Newfoundland)
Time zone UTC −3.30 ( Newfoundland )
UTC −4 ( Labrador )
Newfoundland de facto gave up its independence with the introduction of the Commission of Government on February 16, 1934, but did not become part of Canada de jure until March 23, 1949 .
Dominionofnewfoundlandlocation.PNG

The Dominion Newfoundland ( English Dominion of Newfoundland ) existed from 1907 to 1934 as an independent Dominion within the British Empire and thus formed a third state in North America north of Mexico. At that time it was on an equal footing with the then Dominion Canada . The capital was the city of St. John’s , as is the case with today's Newfoundland and Labrador province .

history

Situation in front of the Dominion

Canada has been a self-governing Dominion since 1867, the first of its kind (see History of Canada ). It was formed from the previous British crown colony of Canada (with the sub-provinces of Upper Canada - Ontario and Lower Canada - Québec ), as well as from the colonies of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia . Originally it was planned to include the crown colony of Newfoundland as the fifth province in the new Canadian federation, but the Newfoundland traders and bankers had little interest in it: Canada closed itself to a protectionist economic policy behind high tariffs , while Newfoundland from the export of cod to Great Britain , Europe and the US lived. Also from Ireland native, Catholic part of the population, about half of the population was largely against the merger with the English and Protestant-dominated Canada and wanted independence. As early as 1854, the British Crown granted Newfoundland the status of responsible self-government with a self-elected island parliament. Two years after Canada's independence, the self-elected parliament voted against unification with Canada in 1869. Newfoundland initially remained a crown colony.

Obtaining Dominion status

Following an economic depression in the 1890s the situation improved with the opening of the railway line from St. John's to Port aux Basques in 1898. At the same time New Zealand became Newfoundland on September 26, 1907 Dominion status. There were initially conflicts over the border between Canada and Newfoundland on the Labrador Peninsula , which could not be resolved until 1927 by a neutral British commission - albeit against the protest of the Canadian province of Québec, at whose expense the new border was drawn. The prosperity of the economy, which has persisted since 1900, was increased by the First World War , in which the Royal Newfoundland Regiment also fought in the ranks of the British Army . It suffered almost 90% casualties on the first day of the Battle of the Somme , July 1, 1916, and was almost wiped out.

Political and economic decline

Twice Premier in Twilight: Richard Squires

In the 1920s a drastic economic and, as a result, political decline began. In 1923, Prime Minister Richard Squires was arrested for corruption . He was replaced by two business-friendly governments under two cousins, Walter Monroe and Frederick Alderdice, who made themselves so unpopular that Squires returned to government in 1928. Soon the Great Depression of 1929 exacerbated the already existing problems and poverty became rampant. On April 5, 1932, a violent demonstration of 10,000 people broke out in front of the government building and Squires fled. The next government, again under Alderdice, asked the British government to take over until Newfoundland's economy stabilized. The Royal Commission subsequently appointed concluded that Newfoundland's political culture suffered from inherent corruption and that the economic outlook was bleak, and recommended that the government dissolve itself. Alderdice followed this recommendation in December 1933, and a British commission took over the interim government. On February 16, 1934, Alderdice signed an edict overriding the constitution, and Newfoundland reverted to crown colony status. By repealing the constitution, many Newfoundlanders viewed the subsequent government as a dictatorship, and in fact it had no constitutional basis.

World War II and plans for a union with the USA

Territorial division of Canada from 1927 to 1949. Newfoundland and Labrador are shown in gray.

The severe economic crisis lasted in Newfoundland until the outbreak of World War II . After the fall of France in 1940, Great Britain transferred the military defense of Newfoundland to Canada. When the US set up large military bases in several locations, the country's gross domestic product doubled almost overnight. American money poured into the country, and now Newfoundland could even issue bonds to Britain to help bear the burden of war. Many Newfoundland women married soldiers of the US armed forces , and the sudden prosperity was so impressive for the poor country that a party was formed, the Economic Union Party , which sought union with the United States, at least an economic union. This party was very influential towards the end of the war, but Great Britain, under Canadian influence, refused a referendum on the union with the USA. The US State Department held back from working with the Unionists in the future out of political considerations for the war allies Great Britain and Canada.

Association with Canada

After the Second World War, the first elections since 1932 took place in 1946. The newly elected assembly decided to hold a referendum on the future of Newfoundland. Three positions formed:

  1. To maintain Newfoundland's current status as a British Crown Colony and to enshrine it in a new constitution,
  2. Independence as a Dominion,
  3. Association with Canada.

The third option, uniting with Canada, was not originally envisaged, but was finally included as a third option after massive collections of signatures from the proponent of this position, Joseph (Joey) Smallwood . Great Britain supported this third option and declared that it would no longer provide financial support to Newfoundland in the future. In the first referendum on June 3, 1948, no proposal received an absolute majority: 45% voted for renewed independence as a Dominion, 41% for unification with Canada, and only 14% for maintaining the current status as a British colony.

Newfoundland one dollar note from 1920

In the following campaign for the runoff -Volksabstimmung religious questions were raised: The Catholic bishops were regarded as opponents of the majority of Anglican-Protestant Canada, and there emerged rumors that they had the Catholic faithful left (about a third of the population) the recommendation against to vote to join. That was only partially correct: Michael O'Reilly , the bishop of St. George's on the west coast, and his congregation were strong supporters of the union with Canada. In response to the rumors, the Protestant Orange Order issued a strongly anti-Catholic election recommendation for joining Canada. In the runoff election on July 22, 1948, 48% of the voters then voted for independence, 52% for unification with Canada. This took place on March 31, 1949, and Joseph Smallwood became the first premier of the now Canadian province of Newfoundland .

Poster of the unification opponents: COME into my PARLOR! - Come in to my good room!
Results of the two referendums on the political future of Newfoundland in 1948
Political alternative Referendum on June 3rd July 22nd referendum
be right percent be right percent
Connection to Canada
( "confederation government" )
64,066 41.1% 78,323 52.3%
Return to Dominion status before 1934
( "responsible government" )
69,400 44.6% 71,334 47.7%
Continuation of the previous state
( "commission government" )
22,311 14.3%
total 155,777 100.0% 149,657 100.0%

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The 1948 referendums. heritage.nf.ca, accessed on September 13, 2017 .