The Frontier World of Edgar Dewdney

The Frontier World of Edgar Dewdney is a biographical studyof a man who played a key role in the cataclysmic events which markedthe political, social, and economic transformation of western Canada inthe latter half of the nineteenth century. An immigrant adventurerseeking his fortune in the colonies, Dewdney was embroiled in the goldrushes of the 1860s, the B.C. debates on Confederation, the RielRebellion of 1885, political evolution in the North-West Territories,and the Klondike gold rush.

For several years Dewdney held important public offices, such asIndian commissioner of the North-West Territories and Minister of theInterior, positions which allowed him to shape the course of events. Inmany ways, Dewdney's career is a metaphor for the maturing westernfrontier. In following his exploits, we follow the story of a regionexperiencing breathtaking change. Brian Titley's purpose in thisbook is not to praise, but to offer a critical appraisal of Dewdney asa type -- a representative of that class of adventurer who saw in thenew land an unprecedented opportunity for self-aggrandisement.