Britain and the Origins of Canadian Confederation, 1837-67

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiii

   PDF

2. British North America on the Eve of Confederation

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 1-25

3. Canadian Confederation and Historical Explanation

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 27-79

4. The Origins of British Support for Canadian Confederation

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 81-116

5. The British and their Perceptions

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 117-155

6. Motives and Expectations of the British

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 157-202

7. The Role of the British in the Launching of Confederation

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 203-235

8. The Role of the British in the Achievement of Confederation 1864–1867

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 237-290

9. Conclusion

   • Ged Martin

   Pages 291-296

10. Back Matter

    Pages 297-388

    PDF

In Britain and the Origins of Canadian Confederation (1837-1867), Ged Martin challenges the view that the provinces of British North America united between 1864 and 1867 in response to the internal and external challenges of the time. After a sceptical review of the way in which historians have handled the Confederation issue, he turns to the largely neglected British dimension, arguing that the origins of Confederation must be sought in a vague consensus among opinion-formers in Britain that the provinces would one day unite.

• America
• Britain
• expectation
• Great Britain
• perception
• time

• Centre of Canadian Studies, University of Edinburgh, UK

  Ged Martin

Policies and ethics