British North America originally comprised all British colonies and territories on the North American continent, from Georgia to Labrador and Rupert's Land. It stood in contrast to Russian North America (Alaska and parts of California) and to Spanish North America.

After the American Revolutionary War, the term became restricted to colonies of the British Empire in North America that did not secede and form the United States of America.

Later, British North America gradually consolidated into the Canadian Confederation under the British North America Act, beginning with the union of Lower Canada and Upper Canada into the United Province of Canada followed in 1867 by the confederation of the Canadas with Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, the addition of British Columbia in 1871, Prince Edward Island in 1873, and completing with Newfoundland in 1949.

See also: British colonization of the Americas, Thirteen Colonies and British Empire