Colonial Office 6 was originally devised as a subject class. Between the years 1816 and 1850, the contents of this class concern predominantly the British North America - United States boundary disputes, as well as North West and Arctic exploration. From 1850 to 1857, the class was virtually in abeyance except for the year 1854 when a small quantity of Foreign Office correspondence was attached to the class. Revived in 1857, it became a repository not only for special subjects but for documents concerning North American colonies generally but which could not be placed conveniently in a topographically defined class. Microfilmed originals are available on microfilm reels B-2870 to B-2871, B-2998 to B-3024. Transcripts are available on reels C-13600 to C-13603.
The class consists of a wide variety of material such as correspondence, interdepartmental communications, memoranda, drafts, supporting papers, journals, prints, maps, plans and drawings. Volumes 1-14 and 19-20 include papers predominantly relating to the activities of the boundary commissioners appointed under the Treaty of Ghent and the Ashburton-Webster Treaty to settle and adjust rival boundary and jurisdictional claims involving Pasamoquoddy Bay, the Indian Stream region, Aroostook and the Oregon territory. In addition to correspondence of the commissioners with the Secretary of State, the material includes prints from official publications of Congress, excerpts from American newspapers and gazettes, copies and interpretations of the various treaties dealing with territorial jurisdiction, maps, survey reports and astronomical observations. Volumes 15-18, 22-23, 29, 31-32, 36-37, principally concern North West and Arctic exploration. The papers include itineraries, journals, reports, maps, instructions, supply orders, appointments and information on Amerindians. The chief figures include John Franklin, George Francis Lyon, George Back, John Richardson, John Ross and John Palliser.
CO 6 also includes material relating to the proposed Ottawa and Georgian Bay Ship Canada, reciprocity, boundary and fishery questions, passes through the Rocky Mountains and the activities of Americans in the North West. Volumes 24 to 28 and 30 contain information concerning, for example, emigration, postal service, organizing and equipping a detachment of Royal Engineers for British Columbia, the expeditions of geologist Henry Youle Hind, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, the Hudson's Bay Company, shipping, settlement of Canada, Palliser's expedition and the Oregon boundary dispute. Volumes 33 to 35 and 38 to 43 provide documents on reciprocity, the American Civil War, settlement of Manitoba and British Columbia, fisheries, boundaries, defence of the Great Lakes, proposed telegraph link via Russia between Europe and North America, telegraph and postal communications, Amerindians, the Hudson's Bay Company, the Alaska Purchase, railroads, and trade between the United States and British North America. In addition, there is a copy of the resolutions of the 1866 London Conference attended by representatives from Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, as well as poetry, letters, American public comment and some diplomatic communications relating to Confederation.
