Yankee Go Home: Canadians and Anti-Americanism

by J.L. Granatstein

Nothing makes Canadians angrier than the sense that they are being bullied by the United States. From the time of the American Revolution, anti-American feeling has been a defining part of Canadian life. And yet, as J.L. Granatstein argues in this articulate and opinionated exploration of Anti-Americanism in Canada, the United States has been too easy a target for our animosities and insecurities. Yankee Go Home? traces the winding course of these anti-American feelings over two centuries - from the United Empire Loyalists who fled north to escape unbridled republicanism, through the early twentieth century when the barons of business were determined to keep out U.S. competition, to the post-war period when Canadian nationalists took to the cry. Granatstein maintains that what began as a justifiable fear of invasion eventually became a tool of the economic and political elites bent on preserving their power.

Genres: Canada, History, Politics, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Jack Lawrence Granatstein is a Canadian historian who specializes in Canadian political and military history. Granatstein received a graduation diploma from Royal Military College Saint-Jean in 1959, his Bachelor of Arts degree from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1961, his Master of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1962, and his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Duke University in 1966.

Reviews

[Keean Lessard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1996, “Yankee Go Home?: Canadians and Anti-Americanism” is dated in some ways but nonetheless incredibly relevant to the world of 2025. Any Canadian interested in their history and relationship with the US should absolutely give this a read.

Covering Canadians’ anti-American sentiments dating from the Loyalists who lost the Revolutionary War and fled North, to the years shortly after the NAFTA negotiations, Granatstein’s political history book is well researched and does a great job at holding a mirror up to Canadians’ faces as an unflinching critique of self. How can we so consistently navel-gaze at the US but are by far those most intoxicated by their money and culture? If we struggle so much to define our own culture, how can we be so certain that we’re dissimilar to Americans?

Though he focuses mainly on how anti-Americanism has been used by both the Liberals and Conservatives as a political tool throughout the decades, he reserves the space for important discussions about cultural and economic assimilation. He misses any real discussion around Indigenous attitudes regarding Canadianism, which is a shame and would have made for a more interesting and nuanced analysis, but does include Quebec’s distinct views. Some of the chapters can get a bit dry, and he concludes by stating that a resurgence in anti-Americanism in Canada is “extremely unlikely” (couldn’t be further from the mark in 2025 given the threats of American annexation), but this book is absolutely still worth the read.

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“It was not the Declaration of Independence which made the Americans a separate people, it was the Atlantic Ocean; and Canada is on the same side of the Atlantic”.

[Dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anti-Americanism started off strong for British North Americans as they cultivated their identity through myths around the Loyalists’ move northwards and the War of 1812. The First and Second World Wars, however, forced Canada to increasingly join up with America through economic agreements. While the post-war era saw some explosions of Anti-Americanism as exemplified by Endicott’s argument that America planned germ warfare in Japan, Diefenbaker’s odd dislike of Kennedy, Charles Gordons’ concern over American foreign investment in Canada, and worries over Americanization in academia, the years were nonetheless dominated by a decline in anti-Americanism. This is a fascinating book that chooses a variety of interesting topics to star in each chapter.

[Vivian 🧚‍♀️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dated? Yes. But, a foundational for studying anti-Americanism especially in contemporary political contexts.

[Thomas Isern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Granatstein crafts lively prose, sustaining us on a long journey from Loyalist origins through NAFTA and, as he sees it, "The End of Anti-Americanism." The book is informative for both Americans and Canadians, for different reasons. As one of the former, I was informed about the larger dynamics shaping regional attitudes I encountered when I commenced historical research on the Canadian prairies in the 1980s. Too, in particular I was informed about the deeply anti-American bias cultivated by the left in the academy. On the other hand, I came to a better understanding of why Canadian academics more broadly felt the need not only to defend turf but also to assert nationhood in matters of curriculum and staffing. One thing about the book that puzzled me was the author's negative opinion, bordering on animus, toward John Diefenbaker. Perhaps this is personal, or perhaps I am missing a subtext here.