Why Did Canada East and West Attend the Charlottetown Conference?

Clarification: "Canada East" (Lower Canada / Quebec) and "Canada West" (Upper Canada / Ontario) were the two sections of the Province of Canada (1841–1867)—a single colony with a joint legislature. They did not "decide to attend" as separate entities; the Province of Canada's government requested to attend.

Context: Charlottetown Conference (Sept 1–9, 1864)

• Originally called by Maritime colonies (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI) to discuss Maritime Union.
• Province of Canada (John A. Macdonald, George Brown, George-Étienne Cartier) asked to join, arguing a larger British North American federation was preferable.
• Maritime delegates agreed; conference pivoted to Confederation.

Why Canada Wanted In

• Political deadlock: Equal representation for East/West despite West's larger population → legislative gridlock.
• Railway vision: Intercolonial Railway to Maritimes + transcontinental to Pacific needed colonial scale.
• US threat: Civil War, Fenian raids, Manifest Destiny anxiety.
• Economic: Reciprocity Treaty (1854) with US ending; need new protected market.

Outcome

Charlottetown → Quebec Conference (Oct 1864, 72 Resolutions) → London Conference (1866) → British North America Act, 1867 → Dominion of Canada (July 1, 1867) with four provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick.

Canada East/West became Quebec/Ontario; their leaders were architects of Confederation.