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Description
In Britain and the Origins of Canadian Confederation, 1837-1867, Ged Martin offers a sceptical review of claims that Confederation answered all the problems facing the provinces, and examines in detail British perceptions of Canada and ideas about its future. The major British contribution to the coming of Confederation is to be found not in the aftermath of the Quebec conference, where the imperial role was mainly one of bluff and exhortation, but prior to 1864, in a vague consensus among opinion-formers that the provinces would one day unite. Faced with an inescapable need to secure legislation at Westminster for a new political structure, British North American politicians found they could work within the context of a metropolitan preference for intercolonial union.
Contributor Notes
Ged Martin has been Director of the Centre of Canadian Studies at the University of Edinburgh since 1983. He was previously Statutory Lecturer at the National University of Ireland, Lecturer in Modern History at University College Cork, and Research Fellow in History at the Australian National University, Canberra.
Editorial Reviews
A valuable contribution to our understanding of the road to Confederation.
— National History
Ged Martin has provided a welcome perspective and context for the process which brought about Canadian federation ... The research and reading upon which the book is based is remarkable, and it incorporates very mature thought and preparation.
— International History Review
