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Part of the peace that does exist in Canadian society comes from the origins of our country. Canada did not have a war of independence or a civil war. There are rebellions in our past, such as the Riel or Northwest Rebellion and the Rebellions of 1837, and there were wars between the British, Americans and French that had a strong role in shaping Canada as a country.
 But Canada is a country born of diplomacy and negotiation. Traditionally we trace the birth of our country to Confederation in 1867, where many separate British colonies came together in a union to create Canada.
We did not rebel against Britain, the country that ruled Canada as a colony and Canada was still seen as a part of Britain up to and including the First World War. It was not until after the war that Canada began to be seen as an independent country. It was only with the passing of the Canada Act by the British Parliament in 1982 that Canada gained the power to amend its constitutional laws without the approval of the British government. Canada's independence from Britain was a series of slow and patient steps, reflecting a patient, peace-loving people.
Canada was involved in World War I and II, the Korean War and peacekeeping operations around the world, including recent actions in Afghanistan. But there has been no armed conflict between Canada and its neighbours for a very long time. The last time that Canadian soldiers fought a war on Canadian soil was the War of 1812 and the last time that Canadian soldiers fought in battle on Canadian soil were the Fenian Raids in 1866 and 1870.
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