1907 Imperial Conference

1907 Imperial Conference
Host countryUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland United Kingdom
Dates15 April 1907
14 May 1907
CitiesLondon
Heads of Government7
ChairSir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
(Prime Minister)
Follows1902 Colonial Conference
Precedes1911
Key points
Dominion status, co-ordination of Imperial defence, Irish Home Rule, self-government for India, Imperial preference

The 1907 Imperial Conference was convened in London on 15 April 1907 and concluded on 14 May 1907. During the sessions a resolution was passed renaming this and future meetings Imperial Conferences. The chairman of the conference was British prime minister Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman.

The conference decided to cease referring to self-governing British colonies as colonies and conferred upon them dominion status. Canada and Australia were referred to as dominions in the conference's statements while Newfoundland Colony and the Colony of New Zealand were granted dominion status by royal proclamation on 26 September. Natal and Cape Colony would unite with the two Boer colonies of Orange River Colony and Transvaal Colony, which had been given self-government in 1907, to form the Union of South Africa as a dominion in 1910.

The possibilities of Irish Home Rule and self-governance for India were also discussed. Imperial preference was raised but rejected by the British prime minister due to British support for free trade.[1]

  1. ^ Olson, James Stuart; Shadle, Robert, eds. (1996). Historical Dictionary of the British Empire: A-J. London: Greenwood Publishing. p. 548. ISBN 0-3132-9366-X.

© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search