The Fathers of Confederation: A Chronicle of the Birth of the Dominion

A vivid portrait of the making of Canada begins with the aftermath of the American Revolution, when the British Empire was forced to reconsider the fate of its remaining North‑American colonies. Colquhoun follows the early visionaries—Lord Dorchester, William Smith and other Loyalist leaders—as they grapple with the loss of the Thirteen Colonies and the untapped promise of the lands stretching toward the Pacific. Their discussions, sketches of political strategy, and the first drafts of a united government reveal a cautious optimism that set the stage for a new nation.

The narrative moves through the obstacles that threatened a union, from regional rivalries to economic anxieties, and introduces the personalities who would later steer the Confederation talks. By portraying the formative debates and the practical concerns of the late eighteenth‑century colonies, the book offers listeners a richly detailed sense of the era’s challenges and the hopeful determination that eventually shaped the Dominion.