Which British colony was the first to gain responsible government?

Nova Scotia was the first British colony to gain responsible government.

Responsible government meant that the colonial executive had to retain the confidence of the elected legislative assembly, rather than governing mainly through an appointed council answerable to the governor. In Nova Scotia, reformers led by Joseph Howe achieved this change in January and February 1848.

The decisive step came on 2 February 1848, when an executive council was formed entirely from the party holding a majority in the elected assembly. James Boyle Uniacke became attorney general and head of government, while Howe became provincial secretary. This arrangement made the ministry politically accountable to elected representatives.

New Brunswick and the Province of Canada followed later in 1848, and other British North American colonies adopted similar systems soon afterward. A common mix-up is confusing responsible government with representative government: Nova Scotia had already established an elected assembly in 1758, but its executive did not become responsible to that assembly until 1848. The reform helped place Canada on the gradual path toward Confederation and greater constitutional independence.