British Columbia becomes the sixth province to…

British Columbia becomes the sixth province to join Canada on July 20, 1871.

In return for entering Confederation, Canada absorbs British Columbia's massive debt, and promises to build a railway from Montreal to the Pacific coast within ten years.

Both the depressed economic situation arising from the collapse of the gold rushes, as well as a desire for the establishment of truly responsible and representative government, had led to enormous domestic pressure for British Columbia to join the Canadian Confederation, which had been proclaimed in 1867.

The Confederation League, spearheaded by three future premiers of the province—Amor De Cosmos, Robert Beaven, and John Robson—had taken a leading role in pushing the colony towards this goal.