US foreign policy between 1865 and 1890: Tensions over Canada Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in US foreign policy between 1865 and 1890: Tensions over Canada Deck (10)
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1
Q

What were the 3 main issues causing tension and raising the possibility of American annexation of Canadian territory?

A
  • The Fenian Raids
  • The Red River Colony
  • The western Canadian province of British Columbia
2
Q

What happened between 1866 and 1871?

A

There were 5 Fenian Raids into Canada by unofficial militias supporting the Fenian Brotherhood

3
Q

What was the Fenian Brotherhood?

A

An Irish American nationalist organisation established in 1858 to fight for an independent Irish republic

4
Q

Why did the US government turn a blind eye to the Fenian Raids at first?

A

Because of ongoing disputes between Britain and Canada over the Alabama Claims.

5
Q

How did the US government eventually take action and what effect did this have?

A

They arrested several Fenian ringleaders. The raids did arouse fear of American annexation - pushed the Canadian provinces to join together in a national Confederation.

6
Q

Why else did American expansionists want to extend into Canada?

A

The fertile Red River valley seemed ideal for settlement and development.

7
Q

What did Seward’s Alaskan success in 1867 open the way for?

A

American annexation of the entire Pacific Northwest coast.

8
Q

Did British Columbia join the US or the Canadian Confederation?

A

Canadian Confederation - by the commitment to build a national railway, the Canadian Pacific, and to connect British Columbia to the rest of the nation.

9
Q

Describe tensions between the US and Canada after 1871.

A

They were generally at a low level, though they never entirely disappeared.

10
Q

What was the last flurry of hostility?

A

The Alaska Boundary Dispute, but this was amicably resolved in 1903. By 1890 the US-Canada border was already the most peaceful and open border in the world.

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