Desires of annexation, trade wars, and the birth of constitutions

Zhou, Han-Ru & Béatrice Légasse, "'Canada is not for sale': What constitutional history teaches us about the 51st state discourse", Policy Options, 13 May 2025

During Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to the White House, President Donald Trump once again suggested that Canada should become the 51st American state. Carney responded firmly, using a real estate metaphor: Canada “is not for sale.”

However, this rhetoric about the 51st state, which is starting to sound like a bad joke, has deep historical roots and has regularly resurfaced, particularly during periods of trade or political tension between the two countries. The idea of Canadian territory becoming part of the United States is even inextricably linked to three founding moments: the adoption of the Quebec Act of 1774, the Constitution of the United States of 1787, and the Canadian Constitution Act of 1867.

If history can be of any use here, it’s as a reminder that the great challenges of those times were instrumental in shaping and strengthening our nations, and that the constitution paved the way for lasting arrangements that continue to benefit us today.

Ce contenu a été mis à jour le 5 June 2025 à 16 h 20 min.