Representative and Responsible Government: 1832-1933

In the 1800s, Newfoundland began to take shape as a country. Church mission societies sent people from England to set up schools in smaller places. Most people outside St. John's depended on the fishery for a living, but there were new industries. The iron ore mine opened on Bell Island, and pulp and paper mills were built at Grand Falls and Corner Brook.

As Newfoundland was settled, people wanted to vote in elections. They wanted laws to be made by a government in Newfoundland. This happened at a time when people in many other British colonies wanted the same thing, so Britain was willing to listen.

Two different types of government were tried out. In Representative Government, the first system, the leader of the government was the governor. The governor was not elected. He was appointed by the government in Britain. This system began in 1832, but it did not make Newfoundlanders happy. They continued to demand a system called Responsible Government. In that system, all members of the government were elected. The leader was an elected prime minister. This system began in Newfoundland in 1855.

Newfoundland made an important contribution to Britain in World War I, which lasted from 1914 to 1918. Many Newfoundlanders died in the war, and Newfoundland gave money to Britain. After the war, Newfoundland began to have very serious economic problems.