A painterly image of men in hats working and conversing on a busy, misty historical port with large sailing ships under a cloudy sky.

Cancellation of Reciprocity Treaty= From 1854 to 1865, the British North American colonies were able to trade freely with the United States because of the Reciprocity Treaty, which allowed them to sell agricultural products and raw materials without paying high tariffs.The colonies relied more on trade with the U.S. than with each other. When the United States ended the treaty in 1865, the colonies began thinking about joining together so they could trade among themselves without tariffs, and grow their economy. See more