Thomas D'Arcy McGee / David A. Wilson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wilson, David A., 1950-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

McGee, Thomas D'Arcy, 1825-1868.

McGee, Thomas D'Arcy.

Politicians--Canada--Biography.

Politicians.

Canada.

Canada--Politics and government--1841-1867.

Politics and government.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

volumes : illustrations ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Montreal ; Ithaca : McGill-Queen's University Press, c2008-

Summary:

After a tumultuous career as a revolutionary in Ireland and an ultra-conservative Catholic in the United States, in 1857 Thomas D'Arcy McGee moved to Canada, where he became a force for moderation and the leading Irish Canadian politician in the country. Determined that Canada should avoid the ethno-religious strife that afflicted Ireland, he articulated an inclusive, broad-minded nationalism based on generosity of spirit, willingness to compromise, and a reasonable balance between order and liberty.

To realize his vision, McGee became a strong supporter of the "new northern nationality." A spellbinding orator who emerged as the youngest and most intellectually gifted of the Fathers of Confederation, he fought what he saw as the atavistic and intolerant elements of Canadian life - the Orange Order, with its strident anti-Catholicism; the opponents of separate schools, whom he viewed as enemies of minority rights; and above all the Fenian Brotherhood, with its dreams of revolutionizing Ireland and annexing Canada to the United States.

As someone who took an uncompromising stand against militants within his own ethno-religious community, and who attempted to balance core values with minority rights, McGee has become increasingly relevant in today's complex multicultural society. Book jacket.

Contents:

v. 1. Passion, reason, and politics, 1825-1857

v. 2. The extreme moderate, 1857-1868.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780773533578

0773533575

9780773539037

OCLC:

181078279