Newfoundland’s Last Prime Minister: Frederick Alderdice and the Death of a Nation

In 1932, after 80 years of elected government, Newfoundland was in trouble: staggering debt, rampant poverty and government corruption which had incited an angry populace. It was in this near-impossible situation that Frederick Alderdice, Newfoundland’s last prime minister, was elected.

Alderdice was the leader at a pivotal moment for Newfoundland, agreeing to the commission that would eventually suspend democratic government and set the stage for Confederation with Canada in 1949. This book traces the political changes that brought Alderdice to power, his attempts at bringing order to public finances, and his eventual capitulation to the wishes of Britain. It also asks whether Alderdice could have set Newfoundland on a different course.