Why is Canada a separate country?
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Canada was British-held at the same time as the US was trying to break free. However, it had been recently conquered from the French in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763). Since the recently conquered territories were unhappy, the UK granted them some privileges (freedom of religion, freedom to use French instead of English, and some local autonomy) to keep them happy. This increased the loyalty of the French Canadians, as well as angered the US colonies, who were not given such privileges. So when the US colonies declared independence, the Canadians were supportive of the UK over joining the US.
After the US war of independence, those people who were loyal to the UK but living in the US resettled in Canada, as it was nearby and part of the UK. This further ensured the loyalty of Canada to the UK, although it also led to close ties to the US. For the next 200 years, it would be either a colony, a confederation, or a dominion under the UK. It wasn’t until 1982 that Canada became a completely separate nation from the UK, although they still have close ties.
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