Canadian politics has been shaped by centuries of negotiation, compromise, and gradual institutional development. Unlike many countries that were born through revolution, Canada’s political system emerged through evolutionary change within the British Empire. The roots of Canadian governance date back to the French colonial era, when New France was administered under centralized rule. After the British conquest of 1763, Canada’s political destiny shifted toward parliamentary traditions and constitutional monarchy.
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The British North America Act of 1867 marked the confederation of Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the Dominion of Canada. This event was not merely a legal union but a profound political compromise between French and English-speaking populations, between federal and provincial powers, and between local autonomy and centralized authority. From this foundation emerged a federal system designed to balance diverse interests across vast geography.
