The Colony of British Columbia was established in 1858 as a British colony on the west coast of North America. It was created to manage the influx of settlers during the Fraser River Gold Rush and to assert British control over the region. The colony initially included the mainland and Vancouver Island, which were later united in 1866. In 1871, the Colony of British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation, becoming the sixth province of Canada. The colony played a significant role in the development of the region, including the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which connected British Columbia to the rest of Canada.