Why the Irish Fenians Tried to ‘Capture Canada’ in 1866

Commentary It was 1866 and in the aftermath of the American Civil War, thousands of Irish immigrants who had fought in both the Union and Confederate armies were of a mind to invade Canada. They were followers of the Fenian Brotherhood, a group formed in the United States in 1858 to advocate for an independent Irish republic free from British rule. The leadership of the movement had decided that, as rebellions inside Ireland had failed, an incursion into the British North American colonies was the best way to bargain for Irish liberty. Said one agitator: “The Lion of England’s whelp should be lashed – Canada be invaded.” To do so, they raised money, stockpiled weapons, and trained troops along the border with Canada. They did this with the American government turning a blind eye to their activities—Britain had in many ways supported the Southern cause during the Civil War and was not in favour among federal politicians. Moreover, President Andrew Johnson had met openly with Fenian leaders, which encouraged some to think that they had Washington’s support in a move against Canada....