New Brunswick and Confederation

New Brunswickbecame one of the founding members of theDominion of Canadaon 1 July 1867 when it joinedNova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec inConfederation. Arthur Hamilton Gordon, the lieutenant-governor of New Brunswick, helped organize theCharlottetown Conference (1–9 September 1864), where a federal union of British North American colonies was first discussed. By 1865, however, a majority in the New Brunswick legislature had swung against it. Albert Smith defeated pro-Confederation premierSamuel Tilley in a snap election that year. But the Fenian Raids in 1866 fueled New Brunswick’s sense of insecurity and increased support for Confederation. After Tilley’sparty won another election in 1866, the legislature voted 38–1 in favour of Confederation. Ancient RootsFor thousands of years, New Brunswick was the home of the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet.From the early 1600s to the mid-1700s, the Mi’kmaq, France and Britain fought for control of the territory. Britain achieved dominance after the Treaty of...