Before 1867, the British North American colonies were largely separate entities, with citizens owing allegiance to Britain. As Confederation was proposed, the colonies would only agree to join if the terms benefited them individually, prioritizing local interests over an ideal national union. A series of conferences were held in the 1860s to negotiate the terms of Confederation after the colonies faced threats from the United States, ultimately resulting in the British North America Act that united most of the colonies as the Dominion of Canada in 1867.