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Difficulty: MediumFederation of 1901 and the Commonwealth

During the late nineteenth century, representatives from the six separate British colonies in Australia held a series of meetings to draft a constitution for a united nation. For this proposal to become law, it required the direct approval of the colonial populations. By what democratic method did the people of the colonies officially decide to join together and form the Commonwealth of Australia?

  1. By voting in a series of referendums to approve the ConstitutionAnswer
  2. B
    By submitting a formal petition to the British Monarch requesting independence
  3. C
    By holding a general election to choose the first Governor-General

Answer

The people of the colonies officially decided to unite by voting in a series of referendums to approve the Constitution.
The correct answer is that the people voted in referendums because Federation was a democratic process. Between 18981898 and 19001900, voters in the colonies participated in referendums to decide whether they supported the proposed Australian Constitution. Once the people voted 'Yes', the colonies could officially unite to form the Commonwealth of Australia on January 1,19011, 1901.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the historical context of the 18901890 s in Australia.
The six colonies were separate entities that wanted to unite for reasons like defense and trade.
Understanding the starting point of Federation is essential to identifying the process used to change it.
2
Determine the democratic mechanism used to gain public approval.
A referendum (a direct vote by the people on a single question) was held in each colony.
The Constitution could only be sent to the British Parliament for final approval after the people of the colonies agreed to it.
3
Recognize the outcome of the process.
The successful votes led to the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act being passed, and the nation was formed on January 1,19011, 1901.
This confirms the role of the referendum as the deciding factor in the birth of the nation.

Key Concept

Federation through democratic referendum

Hints

1
Think about a type of vote where people say 'Yes' or 'No' to a specific proposal or change to the law.
2
The colonies didn't just have their leaders decide; they asked the citizens to vote on the new Constitution.
3
The term for this direct vote by the people is a 'referendum'.

Practice More

Review the roles of the three levels of government established after Federation.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Federation of 1901 and the Commonwealth

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