What significant outcome came from the Quebec Conference (1864–65)?

• A. A comprehensive plan to dissolve provincial governments.
• B. The London Proposals for constitutional reform.
• C. The creation of the province of Newfoundland.
• D. The 72 Resolutions outlining the framework for a federal union.

Answer: (D)

The Quebec Conference produced a detailed plan for uniting the British North American colonies into a federal state. The centerpiece was the 72 Resolutions, a set of proposals that outlined how a central federal government would handle national concerns while the provinces retained powers over local matters. This blueprint laid the groundwork for Confederation by signaling how powers would be shared, how a new constitutional framework would be shaped, and how future amendments could be made. In short, the 72 Resolutions provided the foundation for a federal union and later fed into the Constitution Act of 1867. The other options don’t fit because the conference did not aim to dissolve provincial governments, did not produce the London Proposals (that came from Britain later), and did not involve Newfoundland’s creation, which occurred much later.