Britain and the origins of Canadian confederation, 1837-67 / Ged Martin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martin, Ged.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Constitutional history--Canada.

Constitutional history.

Canada--History--Confederation, 1867.

Canada.

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

Great Britain--Politics and government--1837-1901.

Great Britain.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (403 p.)

Place of Publication:

Vancouver : UBC Press, c1995.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In explaining why the British North American provinces united in 1867, historians have tended to see Confederation as a logical response to the internal and external challenges of the 1860s. With some ambiguity, they have also attributed a major role to the British imperial factor in forcing the Maritime provinces to accept their predestined place in the Canadian nation. 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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Map

1 British North America on the Eve of Confederation

2 Canadian Confederation and Historical Explanation

3 The Origins of British Support for Canadian Confederation

4 The British and their Perceptions

5 Motives and Expectations of the British

6 The Role of the British in the Launching of Confederation

7 The Role of the British in the Achievement of Confederation 1864-1867

Conclusion

Note on Sources

Abbreviations

Notes and References

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613131836

9781283131834

1283131838

9780774854320

0774854324

OCLC:

180704173