In the 1860s Canada came under attack by Fenians, Irish military forces based in the US. It took the combined effort of British troops and the Canadian militia to repel the invaders. This book describes the conflict and how the events pushed Confederation into fruition in 1867. Among the colourful characters are Canada's first spymaster, Gilbert McMicken, who organized a network of agents to gather intelligence on the Fenians, and Thomas D'Arcy McGee, who became a key colleague of John A. Macdonald. In the background, were American politicians, many of whom supported US expansion and saw Canada as the next addition after the acquisition of recent states. In the wake of the Civil War, the US was not ready to go to war with Britain or face its naval power on Canada's coasts. A Fenian success, however, was a possible back-door to annexing Canada or some of its provinces.