Eastern Canada was colonized by the French in the 17th century, with the British emerging as the ruling colonial power in 1763 after the Seven Years War. Canada became a federation of provinces with dominion status in 1867, and the final step in attaining legal independence from the UK was taken with the signing of the Constitution Act of 1982; Canada remains a member of the Commonwealth. French-speakers are largely concentrated in Quebec, the focal point for the French-Canadian separatist movement.