The social events of the Charlottetown Conference had a great impact on the final outcome. They could be looked on as unimportant side events, the delegates just unwinding after the day's negotiations, but they were much more. This was where the delegates got to know each other, some forging friendships for life, all learning the others' personal opinions on Confederation.

Lt. Gov. Dundas threw a welcoming party on the first night of the arrival of the Canadians and the first day of meetings. There was not enough room at his dinner table for the 23 delegates. Because of this lack of space, only some of the delegates were invited and therefore there was not much mingling done within the entire group.

On the afternoon of the second, W.H. Pope, who became the unofficial host for the visiting delegates gave a déjeuner à la fourchette, with traditional Island food such as lobster and oysters. The evening was quite uneventful, with most delegates resting for the coming days.

The next day, after Galt had finished his financial outlines of the proposed union, the Canadians invited the Maritime delegates aboard the Queen Victoria. This became the most important party of the conference, as it is where they first began to know each other and their personal opinions were voiced. By mid-afternoon the feelings of all the delegates were well known, and they all were congenial to Confederation. Brown later told his wife that a union of British North America was all but completed after the lunch. That evening, Colonel Gray threw yet another dinner at his home just outside of Charlottetown, Inkerman House.

On the evening after the last day of the Conference for the Canadian delegates, Governor Dundas and his wife gave a ball and dinner at Government House for all the delegates. This was a chance for the Canadians to relax, because they knew their arguments to have been effective and were hoping the Maritimers would agree to their Confederation plan.

As the Maritime delegates were spending their last day of meetings, discussing their plans for a Maritime union and/or a greater union with Canada, their wives were being treated to a lunch aboard the Queen Victoria. This was a gentlemanly gesture as well as a political one. Treating the Island wives to a grand lunch also showed how good the Canadians were as people.

On the last night in Charlottetown the delegates attended the Grand Ball, thrown by the Prince Edward Island government at the Colonial Building. What had been the day before the meeting place of the delegates became a well decorated and festive reception area, ballroom, and dining hall. The first guests began to arrive at nine in the evening. At about ten the Governor and John A. Macdonald arrived, and the dancing began. Most danced until 1 a.m., while D'Arcy McGee entertained a large crowd with his wit, and others just sat and talked in the refreshment room. Then they all headed down to the Supreme Court room, which had been arranged as a dining hall. The dinner was a long and happy one, with toasts that went on for hours and a large meal of may courses. It was 4 a.m. before dinner was done. It was near the end of the night when the Canadians invited the rest of the delegates aboard the Queen Victoria for the rest of the trip around the Maritimes.

Continue to next section: Conference Outcome