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Frontier Police of Canada, 1861-1871

The Frontier Police, Canada, was established in 1863 as a means to control the border between the United States and Canada during the American Civil War.

Introduction

The outbreak of war between the Northern and Southern states in 1861 led to serious political, economic and military complications for the British North American colonies, including Canada. The British government declared neutrality and recognized Confederate rights of beligerancy early in the conflict which caused friction between the administration in Washington and the British which spilled over into issues relating to the common border thorughout the conflict.

Background

The idea of a provincial police force in the Canadas was politically charged and deeply unpopular amongst much of the population. For much of the early 19th century municipalities were willing to leave enforcement to the law to the regular garrisons of British troops stationed throughout the province. The provincial legislatures did not pass legislation empowering muncipalities to form local police forces until the late 1830s. In 1846 the Province of Canada authorized Stipindiary Magistrates to hire detectives to provide security on public works, particularly canals, in a period of labour unrest and economic distress. By the late 1840s political unrest culminated inthe destruction of the Parliament buildings in Montreal in which local police failed to take effective action against the rioters. In 1851 the legislature considered establishing a police force of "military pensioners", veteran troops or naval personnel, who would be recruited in Britain and serve for 5 years in exchange for a land grant at the end of their service. The opposition attacked the prosposal from the beginning as unnecessary and politically questionable and forced the government to back down. An attempt to create a provincial police force based on municipalities was defeated by local opposition over the costs in the same year. By the beginning of the American Civil War no progress had been made in establishing an effective means of law enforcement.