Delegates to the convention examined Newfoundland's economy and society, and debated the merits of returning to responsible government (suspended in 1934) or joining the Canadian confederation. A number of public figures of the 1950s and 1960s came into prominence during the convention, most notably Joseph R. Smallwood, leader of the confederate group. This unique and remarkable historical document is a must for Commonwealth and Canadian specialists and research libraries.

Delegates to the convention examined Newfoundland's economy and society, and debated the merits of returning to responsible government (suspended in 1934) or joining the Canadian confederation. A number of public figures of the 1950s and 1960s came into prominence during the convention, most notably Joseph R. Smallwood, leader of the confederate group. This unique and remarkable historical document is a must for Commonwealth and Canadian specialists and research libraries.

The history of the Newfoundland National Convention is of key importance for understanding how Newfoundland became a Canadian province in 1949. In 1946 forty-five convention delegates were elected to consider the condition and prospects of Newfoundland and Labrador, and make recommendations to the British government concerning the forms of government that should be put before the electorate in a referendum. The debates and committee reports were not published after the Convention's dissolution in 1948; they are now brought together in an accessible form for the first time.

The true story, drawn from official documents and hours of personal interviews, of how Newfoundland and Labrador joined Confederation and became Canada's tenth province in 1949. A rich cast of characters--hailing from Britain, America, Canada and Newfoundland--battle it out for the prize of the resource-rich, financially solvent, militarily strategic island. The twists and turns are as dramatic as any spy novel and extremely surprising, since the "official" version of Newfoundland history has held for over fifty years almost without question. Don't Tell the Newfoundlanders will change all that.