Imperial Federation League facts for kids

The Imperial Federation League was a group formed in the 1800s. Its main goal was to bring the British Empire closer together. They wanted to create a single, strong government for the United Kingdom and its self-governing colonies, like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Cape Colony (which later became Union of South Africa). They imagined this would be similar to how different parts of British North America joined to form the country of Canada. The League believed that uniting the empire would help protect everyone's shared interests and provide a strong defense.

Starting the League

The Imperial Federation League began in London, England, on November 18, 1884. W. E. Forster was a key person who helped start it and became its first leader.

When the League was formed, they agreed on several important points:

• They wanted to create a permanent, unified British Empire through federation.
• Any new system should not take away the power of local parliaments to manage their own local issues.
• The empire's resources should be combined fairly to protect common interests and organize defense.
• The League would use peaceful, legal ways to achieve its goals and welcomed support from people of all political backgrounds.
• Anyone who agreed with the League's ideas and paid a small fee could become a member.
• They asked for donations to help run the League.
• They invited British subjects across the empire to join and form local branches.

Branches of the League quickly opened in places like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Barbados, and British Guiana. After Forster passed away, Lord Rosebery became the League's president, followed by Edward Stanhope.

The League wanted to unite the empire in a similar way to how Canada was formed. They often pointed to the United States and Canada as examples of how large areas could be managed well with a central government.

The League tried to stay out of regular party politics. It brought together many important people, including politicians, journalists, and thinkers like Sir John Robert Seeley, James Bryce, Alfred Milner, and Lord Tennyson.

League in Canada

A large branch of the Imperial Federation League started in Toronto, Canada, in 1887. This happened partly because the United States was suggesting a closer trade relationship with Canada. Dalton McCarthy was a founder of the League in Canada.

Other important Canadian members included Sir Charles Tupper and Sir Sam Hughes. George Robert Parkin traveled widely across the empire, speaking about the League's goals. The League was especially worried about ideas of Canada joining the United States in the late 1880s and early 1890s.

League in Australia

A branch of the League was also set up in Victoria, Australia, in 1885. Alfred Deakin, who later became Prime Minister of Australia, supported the League and became president of the Victorian branch in 1905.

The Victorian branch believed that the best way to encourage Imperial Federation was to talk about the general idea without getting stuck on specific plans. Many in the Victorian branch saw the Federation of Australia (when Australian colonies joined to form one country) as a first step towards a larger Imperial Federation.

What the League Wanted to Do

Supporters of the Imperial Federation League argued that Britain had two main choices: either unite the empire or see it fall apart. They believed that Britain's future importance depended on uniting what are now called the "Old Commonwealth" countries.

The League wanted a closer union of the British Empire under an "Imperial Federal Government." They didn't agree on exactly what this government would look like. It could have been a federal parliament, a council, or regular meetings. But they all agreed it would include representatives from different parts of the empire. This new body would handle important matters like foreign policy, defense, and trade. Most people thought it would be some kind of Imperial Parliament.

This Imperial Parliament (which would be the Westminster Parliament, but without its local duties) would manage foreign affairs, the army, the navy, and colonies like India. It would also have a final court for appeals. Local parliaments would still control local matters like police and education.

The League had different ideas among its members. Some wanted a clear plan for Imperial Federation right away. Others thought it was better to discuss the general idea first to build support, and then work out the details later. For example, Parkin in Canada argued that this was how Canadian Confederation happened.

Another point of disagreement within the League was about trade. Some members supported free trade, while others wanted to protect local industries with tariffs (taxes on imported goods). The League didn't take an official stance on this, but members were allowed to share their views.

Eventually, the League faced disagreements and was made up of several different groups. This "lack of unity" was given as a reason for the League breaking up in 1893. Some opponents, like Andrew Carnegie, even called the League's idea an "amusing fad."

Achievements and Challenges

The Imperial Federation League succeeded in making the idea of imperial federation a well-known topic across the empire.

One important achievement was helping to organize the First Colonial Conference in 1887. This meeting happened during Queen Victoria's 50th year as queen.

The League met with two British Prime Ministers, Lord Salisbury and William Ewart Gladstone. While Salisbury agreed to the Colonial Conference, he later said that federation was "nothing more than a word." Gladstone was not interested in the idea and quickly dismissed the League's plans in 1893.

After the League Ended

After the Imperial Federation League dissolved, some of its members started a new group in 1894 called the British Empire League.

Alfred Milner, a former member, later played a role in uniting South Africa and helped start the Round Table movement, which also promoted closer imperial ties.