In the 1860s Anglin was an active participant in the complex political manoeuvrings in New Brunswick, the Freeman providing a platform for his strenuous opposition to Confederation. Although the anti-Confederates were unsuccessful, Anglin’s career provides insight into both the muddy politics of Confederation and the process of adjustment to the new order. Ultimately the union that Anglin had opposed won his loyalty, a demonstration of the fact that, despite its problems, the strength of the new nation of Canada was considerable. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1882 and Speaker of the House from 1874 to 1878.
This study of the public career of Timothy Warren Anglin—newspaperman, politician, Irish Catholic leader—sheds light on the political and social history of British North America in the second half of the nineteenth century and on the emergence and growth of the Canadian nation.
William M. Baker is a member of the Department of History at the University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta.