<P> The Newfoundland Referendums of 1948 were a series of two referendums to decide the political future of the Dominion of Newfoundland . Before the referendums, Newfoundland was in debt and went through several delegations to determine whether the country would join Canada, remain under British rule or regain independence . The voting for the referendums occurred on June 3 and July 22, 1948 . The eventual result was for Newfoundland to enter Canadian Confederation . </P> <P> Newfoundland is the oldest settled region in what would become Canada but was the last to obtain either a local representative government or responsible government . In 1832, it received local representative government in the form of a locally elected body of officials overseen by a governor . The British granted responsible government, in which the government is responsible to the legislature and elected officials occupy ministerial jobs, only in 1855 . </P>

How may you account for newfoundland late entry into the union