British North America consisted of the colonies and territories of the
British Empire in continental
North America after the end of the
American Revolutionary War and the recognition of
American independence in 1783.
At the start of the Revolutionary War in 1775 the British Empire included 20 territories north of
Mexico:
Newfoundland,
Rupert's Land,
Nova Scotia,
Prince Edward Island, the
13 colonies that became the United States, the new formerly Spanish possessions of
East and
West Florida, and the recently acquired
Province of Quebec (formerly
New France). Quebec was ceded by France and East and West Florida were ceded by
Spain to Britain in the
Treaty of Paris, which ended the
Seven Years' War. Quebec became
Lower Canada in 1791 as a partner colony to the newly formed
Upper Canada, which was created to accommodate the United Empire Loyalists then fleeing revolutionary America. The
Floridas were ceded by Spain to the United States in 1819.
After the
War of 1812, the
Treaty of 1818 established the
49th parallel as the United States–British North America border from
Rupert's Land west to the
Rocky mountains. At that time, the
Red River Colony was ceded to the United States, and joint occupation of
Oregon Country commenced. Britain ceded occupation of the Pacific coast south of the 49th parallel, known as
Hudson's Bay Company's
Columbia District under the
Oregon Treaty of 1846.
The Canadas were joined with
Nova Scotia and
New Brunswick on July 1, 1867, by an Act of the
British Parliament called the
British North America Act, forming the
Dominion of Canada. In 1870,
Manitoba joined with Canada;
British Columbia joined in 1871 and
Prince Edward Island in 1873. In 1949, the sole remaining British North American colony,
Newfoundland, joined Canada. Although internally autonomous from 1867, and a separate kingdom with the
Statute of Westminster 1931, the last vestiges of constitutional dependency upon the United Kingdom were not severed until the
Constitution Act of 1982 was passed by the British Parliament over the objections of
Quebec.
The term
British North America (B.N.A.) was first used informally in 1783, but it was uncommon before the
Report on the Affairs of British North America (1839), called the Durham Report. Formally, the British Colonies in North America were known as "
British America" and the "
British West Indies" until 1783, and after that, "British North America" and the "British West Indies".
See also
Category:1982 disestablishmentsCategory:States and territories established in 1783 de:Britisch-Nordamerikaes:Norteamérica británicafr:Amérique du Nord britanniqueko:영국령 북아메리카it:America britannicanl:Brits Noord-Amerikano:Britisk Nord-Amerikapt:América do Norte Britânicasv:Brittiska Nordamerikazh:英屬北美
