Church-State Relations and American Influence in British Columbia before Confederation

British Columbia has, throughout its history, lacked interest in organized religion. The roots of this liberalism go back to the mid-nineteenth century. In 1859, the Fraser River gold rush brought a large influx of American settlers, and the American tradition of separation of church and state took deep root there. Thus, soon after confederation in 1871, the School Act of 1872 forbade religious instruction in the public schools and British Columbia was unwilling to compromise on church-state relations.