A Little History of Canada

by H.V. Nelles

This lively and opinionated history is a whirlwind tour of the Canadian land and inhabitants from the earliest human occupation to the present. The country has undergone several fundamental changes - from Indigenous occupation, to French and British colonization, to the rise of an independent nation and distinct society - and it is doing so yet again. Fully revised, this updated 150th anniversary edition incorporates the latest research that helps us understand the course of history in Canada.

Genres: History, Canada, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 16, 2004

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

It begins with geography and the indigenous peoples. It ends with Indigenous People and the climate. In between, some folk from across the seas arrived with the advantage of writing down their histories, not least because they built paper-producing bureaucracies. Canada became good at bureaucracy.

This little history isn't some great revisionist project or social story of Canada. It's a straightforward, armies-and-Prime-Ministers narrative history. But it's compact, written with verve, and comes full circle to the new awakening of the people who were always here.

[Samira · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good read for immigrants as it covers I guess major incidents and historical events. It gave me a new perspective on the ongoing political, economical and cultural issues especially on the desire of Quebecers to become independent and form a sovereign nation. however, in some parts, the author jumps from an idea to the next without a smooth flow of thought or over-explains some issues while quickly mentioning some other major things. In general, I liked this book and would recommend it to other people.

[K.M. Weiland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid, fast-reading history of Canada.

[Kevin Keating · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I was looking for. Shorter book on Canadian history to set me up for more reading.

[Brooke Mackenzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book as a refresher to history courses I took in university and it hits all the key points from before European exploration to the Justin Trudeau era.

It is perfect if you are new to Canadian history and want the Coles notes version of the country’s past.

[Tom Glaser · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an American, almost every bit of this history was new and interesting to me. It covers the last millennium in only 250 pages, so it’s necessarily superficial, but the author writes with considerable verve, and it’s packed with interesting and surprising stuff. I read this right before a road trip around the Maritimes and am glad I did. The book helped me appreciate the distinctiveness of Canada’s development and the ways it differs from the United States.

Here’s a further condensation:

The first Europeans (Norse) arrived around 1000 AD, established a few tiny settlements, and then disappeared around 1450. Around the same time, French, Basque and English fisherman started appearing off the Labrador coast. Interest in permanent settlement was limited though, and two centuries later, the French population of “New France” hadn’t reached 5,000. Colonization efforts swung into higher gear in 1663, when Louise XIV recognized the strategic importance of Canada on a continent increasingly held by the English and committed to fund a plan to settle and support more immigration.

Forward to the War of Spanish Succession and the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), France compensated for losses in Europe with territorial concessions in the colonies and ceded Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and the Hudson Bay Territory to England. Fifty years later, at the conclusion of the Seven Years War (aka French and Indian War), France gave up all its mainland North America territory except Louisiana to Britain in return for its Caribbean sugar colonies, Guadeloupe and Martinique.

Because French Catholic settlers greatly outnumbered English Anglicans, the Crown was compelled to treat Quebec as a special exception within the Empire. Roman Catholicism was tolerated, and French Civil Law was preserved. Cognizant also of the numerical superiority and military importance of Natives in the interior, England formally recognized Native rights and negotiated with Native peoples on a government-to-government basis. This enraged land-hungry American colonists and was a factor in their invasion of Quebec in 1775/76.

Once Britain recognized US independence in 1793, the only part of North America remaining British was Canada. Although most Loyalists remained in the US, about 60,000 fled to Nova Scotia and 10,000 to Quebec. At the same time, Captain George Vancouver mapped the West Coast and Montreal fur traders advanced to the Pacific, tying the western region of the continent to Britain.

Napoleon closed Europe to British commerce. Britain responded by blockading French seaports and thwarting American trade. In retailiation against the British, the US attacked Canada in 1812. When the War of 1812 ended (in 1815), Canada’s boundaries remained unchanged, British emigration to Canada increased and revenue from forest products surpassed that from the fur trade. Massive migration from Britain to Canada between 1815 and 1840 made Canada culturally more British than French. Canadians had one of the highest birth rates in the world. Thus, by the early 1840s, Canada’s population had reached 1.7 million.

In 1837, insurrections in the British colonies of Upper and Lower Canada (roughly lower Ontario and Quebec) failed to arouse popular local support and were crushed. In the 1840 Act of Union, Britain renamed the colonies Canada West and Canada East and united them into a Dominion of the British Empire. English became the official language of government.

Canada was sympathetic to the states which had seceded from the United States. In 1864, Confederate guerillas operating from Canada attacked St. Albans, Vermont. After the end of the Civil War, Jefferson Davis went into exile in Canada. On July 1, 1867, Canada West, Canada East, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick confederated and formed the Dominion of Canada. In 1871 British Columbia joined the Dominion and the British withdrew their army from Canada, leaving it defenseless. Between 1871 and 1877 aboriginal tribes in the Prairie West, seeking to avoid the bloody fate of their counterparts in the US, negotiated a series of treaties that made them wards of the state and confined them to reserves. They viewed this as a survival strategy; the Canadians viewed the treaties as a means to acculturate and assimilate the native people.

By the time John A. MacDonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, died in 1891, Canada was riven by grievances and sectarian feuds. The Confederation was in danger of splintering. Canada experienced net emigration during the last 3 decades of the 19th century, as droves of Canadians left for the industrial north of the US. The national decline abruptly reversed itself starting in 1896, when Canada suddenly recorded the highest levels of economic growth in world history. There was an investment boom and by 1900 the Canadian economy was growing twice as fast as the US economy. Over a million farmers poured into the Prairie during the next decade, and the federal government created two new provinces, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Annual wheat exports rose 14X from 1896 to 1914. In 1911 almost 50% of the Prairie population was born outside of Canada. Because few of the recent immigrants were French, the English character of the country was strengthened.

As a British colony, Canada entered WW1 in 1914. Conscription didn’t go into effect until initial enthusiasm for the war dried up in 1917. More than 60,000 Canadians lost their lives. 39% of Canada’s mobilized population was killed or wounded. Canada received representation at the post-war peace conference in Paris and was a founding member of the League of Nations. The colony insisted on autonomy in foreign policy and sought equality, but not independence, from Britain.

Provinces except Quebec started banning alcohol sales as early as 1916. The prohibitions were repealed after a few years, though Prohibition in PEI ran from 1901 to 1948. One in three Canadian workers lost their jobs during the Great Depression. 15% of the population depended on government relief. The Ku Klux Klan revived in the Prairies and Ontario.

Canada became isolationist as war clouds developed in Europe but ultimately went to war in 1939 because Britain was at war. Canada played a key role in arming and feeding Britain and gave the British 4 billion dollars in aid. Britain and the Commonwealth fought alone against Germany for 18 months before the US entered the war. Canada mobilized more than a million men and women, 99% volunteers. Forty-two thousand died in combat. The state emerged from the war with larger influence over the economy. It also gained prestige and public confidence during its prosecution of the war. Obstacles to aggressive federal intervention in the social policy arena evaporated and the government embarked on building a welfare state.

In 1946 Canadians ceased being British subjects and became Canadian citizens. In order to assert its political autonomy from the US, Canada began to assert its international interests through multi-lateral organizations. It played an energetic role in the founding of the UN and took in 100,000 European displaced persons. Immigration boomed during the 1950s but was race-based and capped Asians below 5% of the total. In 1949 Newfoundland joined Canada as its 10th province. In 1952 Queen Elizabeth acquiesced to a Canadian, rather than a British, governor general. In 1962 immigration policy became skills-based and race-blind. Nationwide socialized medicine was set up in 1966.

In the 1960’s the Liberal government in Quebec displaced the Catholic Church as provider of health and educational services in the province. They also nationalized the large hydroelectric companies. PM Pierre Trudeau successfully countered an emerging movement for Quebec sovereignty by promoting a bilingual, bicultural Canada. In 1978 the Parti Quebequois made French the language of business and government in Quebec, sparking the flight of many anglophone residents.

In 1982 Queen Elizabeth assented to a new Canadian constitution and became the only remaining formal link between the two countries. The constitution included an expansive bill of rights which provinces could override with legislative and voter approval for a period of five years. This is called the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Efforts during the late 1980s and early 1990s to recognize Quebec as a distinct society failed. In 1995 a referendum on separation from Canada was narrowly defeated by 50.6% of Quebecers. The Supreme Court went on to rule that the province lacked the powers to make a unilateral declaration of independence, but left open the door to future referendums and negotiations. My edition of the book ends with Trudeau’s death in 2000.

[Diane Jeske · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a new permanent resident of Canada, I want to know more of its history. I thought this book would fill some gaps nicely. A blurb said that this is the book that would have made Canadian history interesting for you if it had been your textbook. Given how utterly dry this book is, I can only imagine how horrible the blurb writer's textbook was. So many facts and figures related in such a totally bland way - I just wanted to finish! This book almost made me say, I give up on Canadian history! But I will not give up on my attempt to find something interesting, although I do need some time before I can resume that quest.

[David Ellcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

A brief and entertaining history. I need to find something similar for Argentina now!

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am an American from upstate New York who has been living on and off in Toronto for the past two years. Being an academic who has focused on American history, I have always found the points of divergence and points of confluence between the histories of the United States and Canada interesting. But I wanted to understand more about what makes Canada unique on its own terms. I bought this book during the Canada Day celebrations in 2017 (the 150th Anniversary of Confederation). “A Little History of Canada” by H.V. Nelles is a serviceable work and gives you a general overview of some broader themes in Canadian history. However, I find the first part of the book (pre-Confederation) better written than the second half of the book. The book is very much a “little” history and I found myself wanting more information.

One aspect of the book I like is that is five chapters cover non-conventional time periods, allowing the author to tell a less conventional narrative. Chapter 1 goes from prehistoric times to the 1740s, covering the settling of Canada by the First Nations and French settlers. Chapter 2 looks at the transformation a French Canada into a British territory through the Seven Years War and the American Revolution up to the 1840s. This chapter talks about the unique formation of a distinctly Canadian approach to governance. Chapter 3 looks at the period up to 1939 where Canada was a Dominion in the British Empire with deep ties to the mother country. One interesting feature of this chapter is how insular Canada was during this period. Chapter 4 looks at the gradual disconnection of Canada from Britain, its deeper ties to the United States, and attempts by the nation to look outward and to cultivate an independent voice. Chapter 5 is a later edition that takes the story to the present at the various pressures on a multicultural nation at increasing odds with its southern neighbor.

There are a few central themes in his narrative. For Nelles, the best metaphor to describe Canada is a traditional Transformation Mask from the First Nations peoples in the Pacific Northwest. The mask transforms into completely something different each time a string is pulled, all while we can see remains of the previous iteration. It is an interesting metaphor that gets at one of his central points: that Canada has changed drastically over the centuries, all while retaining features of the previous dispensations. Another broader theme is the relationship between Canada and Great Britain, which were quite strong but gradually dissipated as Canada became nominally independent and finally legally independent in 1982. There is also the relationship between Canada and the United States—always omnipresent given the proximity of the two countries but taking on increasing importance after World War II. An additional theme is the idea that Canada has evolved from being a bicultural to a multicultural country—a development that only really began to take deep root in the 1970s and 1980s.

Overall the story is fascinating, and this book can whet your appetite to learn more. But if you want a more nuanced examination, I would recommend using this book only as a first step.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m very happy that I read A Little History of Canada. It is exactly what is advertised: a short, well-written, and accessible overview of the country. This was a perfect read for this American who knew pathetically little about this country which I like to visit frequently. I certainly feel as though I know more about the tensions over time that have given Canada its current shape and character. I was also feel as though I understand Canada’s odd relationships with Great Britain (certainly a mystery for an American reader--why didn’t Canada just want to cut ties?) and with the United States.

The one criticism that I’ve read about Nelles’s book is that it is opinionated at times, a fact which the author acknowledges in his preface. That said, I only found the book to be opinionated in its very final chapter (Nelles isn’t a particular fan of Stephen Harper or of the US’s response to 9/11), and to be honest, I think that’s quite forgivable since the last two decades have not yet been processed through a historical filter. Any assessment of a recent time would feel opinionated.

On the whole, this was a good little read, an excellent first primer for the history of a unique nation.

[Robert Jeens · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice little book that fits in your hand well. It’s good to read when you’re on the go. The author says that he wanted to write a book that could give people essential information about the history of Canada in a compact form, thus necessarily leaving out great chunks but distilling it down to what is necessary, and I think he succeeded.
The author claims that Canada is “a massive social experiment” and I agree. “The enduring theme of Canadian history is transformation.” I agree with that, too. The periodization of the book is not so much political but more social, environmental and economic. He starts with the ice age until 1740, covering indigenous Canada and the arrival of fur traders and settlers. The next century, from the 1740s to 1840s set up various British colonial societies distinct from the USA. From the 1840s to 1939, Canada became a transcontinental, semi-autonomous Dominion, and finally from the 1940s to 2000, a “distinctive, statist, multicultural, and open society”.
Just some random thoughts on some of the things he wrote. “Canadian history begins with the melting of the ice.” That is true, as Canada was under a massive ice sheet until 10,000 years ago, and then people slowly trickled in. It’s still a fairly cold place. Canadian history is more peaceful than most other places, but it was not completely peaceful. Sometimes people were killed and sometimes for political reasons. At the end of New France, there were about 900 slaves in New France, about 300 of them Africans, 600 Indigenous. It was “a society with slaves but not a slave society.” The economy was not dependent upon them. I wonder what happened to them?. Lastly, Nelles pointed out something I have wondered about. When the French gave up New France to the British, they thought it would be a curse because the strategic and economic goals of Quebec conflicted with the colonies around it. They were right.
As for political evolution under the British, what happened in Canada was more or less the complete opposite of what happened in the USA. Rather than colonial elites seeking self-government, Canada was guided into semi-independence by the British colonial authorities. Responsible Government gave colonial legislatures control of the government but also relieved the British of the responsibility for paying for them. Confederation was encouraged so that the colonies might work together for mutual defense against the threat from the victorious Northern armies after the civil war. And then the expansion of old Canada across the entire northern continent was also aided and engineered by Britain. “Canada was a business deal” There wasn’t a great deal of affection among the disparate British colonies, and this makes me think of Yuval Harari’s point about the unifying power of money.
The main theme of Canada’s history is great waves of people washing across various parts of it. Indigenous people came first, following the retreat of the glaciers, and then the French, settling in Acadia and New France, and exploring and building a fur trade empire across half the continent, and then the British, accompanied by the Scottish and Irish and other Northern Europeans. There were communities of Black people, too. Next came the Asian, Central, Eastern and Southern European peoples, and from the 1960s, when the racist laws were changed, people from all over the world have arrived to call Canada their home. Nelles tells that story. And he shows that previous peoples variously resisted, accommodated, and welcomed the newcomers: people found ways to live together. He characterizes it generally as “elite accommodation rather than complex social integration”, so that people often lived in separate communities that were somewhat linked by workplace or social clubs or education, but largely the people at the top negotiated for accommodation among themselves. I wonder how much that is true of all the communities anymore. It seems to me more true for some and less for others.
Something else that Nelles points out is that religion as often has divided Canadians as it has brought them together.
Finally, this is a kind of pre-culture war view of history. Nelles describes rather than condemns. He describes situations and events rather than condemning the actors. Imperialism is something that happened rather than a curse to be laid at the foot of our ancestors. He doesn’t cloak the barbarities, but there was more to it than that. I rather enjoyed this.

[Enikő · Rating 3 out of 5]

En réalité, j'y donne 2,5 étoiles, j'ai arrondi à 3. Ce n'est pas le meilleur livre sur l'histoire du Canada que j'aie jamais lu, mais ce n'est pas le pire, non plus. C'est un peu sec comme lecture, mais j'ai quand même appris des choses.
Par exemple :
À peu près au même moment, les Britanniques envahirent brièvement la ville de Washington en guise de représailles à la prise de York, incendiant le Capitole et la résidence présidentielle. L'immeuble, qu'on blanchit à la chaux pour camoufler les dommages causés par la fumée, fut ensuite connu sous le nom de Maison-Blanche. (p. 124)
Pour un livre d'histoire, il y avait quand même un élément qui m'a fait sourire et avouer que c'était bien écrit, finalement. Voici :
Les peuples autochtones de la côte ouest possèdent le symbole idéal de l'histoire du Canada, et je me permettrai d'en tirer une métaphore. Aux fins de leurs rites complexes, les tribus de la côte sculptaient dans le bois des masques évocateurs peints de couleurs vives. L'un d'eux porte le nom de « Masque de transformation ». Celui qui le porte a d'abord l'apparence d'un corbeau ou d'un aigle. Il lui suffit ensuite de tirer sur des ficelles cachées pour que le masque s'ouvre et révèle un soleil, une lune, un épaulard ou un visage humain. Certains masques particulièrement recherchés comportent ainsi trois niveaux, chacun représentant un motif différent. (p. 10, qui est en fait au tout début, à la deuxième page du texte)
Au milieu de ces tensions, de ces espoirs et de ces possibilités, un autre Canada est en voie de formation. Impossible de prédire à quoi il ressemblera. Aussi sûrement que par le passé, l'histoire tire sur les ficelles, et le Masque de transformation s'ouvre une fois de plus. (p.330, la dernière page)
Enfin, je n'ai pas vraiment de mémoire pour l'histoire et j'ai l'habitude de relire des choses sur l'histoire du Canada toutes les quelques années. J'étais donc due. Dans tous les cas, c'est un livre recommandé pour un des cours que je vais suivre à l'automne. ;)

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did rather enjoy reading this given how little I know of Canadian hisory and Nelles' writing is both engaging and informative keepng you interested as a reader even during some of the more politically driven moments in Canada's history. The one thing I was rather disappointed about, however, was how this history only seems to start when non-indigenious peoples arrive. Only the first 13 pages of this book cover the indigenious people, which as both a Welsh and British woman I find odd as our histories, however brief, always have a significant section on our early peoples/tribes. In fact, it is something we hold on to with great pride. Given the recent drives to right the wrongs of the past, I'm surprised there wasn't more of their history covered here, as their history is part of Canada's history. Is this just a difference of historic writing between both sides of the Atlantic?

[Simon Winquist · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book about the history of Canada. I am impressed of the authors ability to condense and cover much of its history. In such a short book. The author was able to seamlessly connect and move from one event to another.

The author starts the story with a transformation mask, representing the transformations, and the continuing transformations of Canada.

It starts with the coverage of indigenous peoples prior to European arrival. Then the period of new France and then the British take over. He then covers the modern period of Canada up to events that are pretty recent such as the Kyoto protocol and the two candidates for me, one rural and Caucasian, and in the cities open and diverse.

This is definitely a book if you want a quick summary of Canadian history.

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you, like me, have little to no grasp of the history of Canada, this 250 page book is an excellent primer on the subject. More than just a series of dates and names, it provides context to the history with careful analysis of shifting demographics, topical news stories and perspective gained from time elapsed since the original events. Our story of nationhood is more nuanced and complex than that of our southern neighbours, and influences our country to this day. Highly recommended.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little book does a grand job outlining the birth of a country. Canada is a wonderful country and it was really fun to learn how the country rose up from french discovery all the way into the modern era. I enjoyed how the book was laid out with the progression of time being seamless. My only issue is the authors over use of complicated and often at times boring wording it made the engagement with the book a struggle at times.

[BENALCAZAR VERGARA · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little History of Canada gives us an overview of how Canada and it's society has changed since the Crown was part of these country. It tells you what was the big episodes in the political and geopolitical movements. How Canada thanks to its allies USA, England and Chine now became one of the countries that learned from its neighborhood. Although it shows a little bit of native people and what happened with them. Great book to know what Canada is made from and for.

[Tyler Fish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does what it sets out to do: write a little history of Canada.

Unfortunately has to gloss over many events and formative due to brevity. In particular the impact of the World Wars was barely skimmed over, although much other good reading is available on these subjects. (For a people’s history of WW2 I strongly recommend “6 War Years” by Barry Broadfoot)

Would recommend to anyone looking to get a basic understanding of Canada’s past.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for school and I can definitely say that this is a « little history » made possible by its tiny, tiny font. It is also quite a eurocentric analysis of Canadian history which glides over Indigenous life pre-European settlement, and frames the English as the heroes. Overall, not a very unique read and now you know why it’s such a small book.

[Edward Fenner · Rating 2 out of 5]

A good little history but that also means not very comprehensive. Lots of major events and people skipped over, unfortunately. That said, if you know little or nothing of Canadian history then this is a good start. Then explore more in depth with the stuff you find particularly interesting.

[Luke Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is workmanlike although I find it a slightly dry introduction to the nation I now call home. For me the most interesting aspect of history is the characters which the book obviously doesn't have time to dwell on but I guess that would lead to further reading. Not bad overall

[Philip Tadros · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good intro, though a bit dense at times. The big idea is that Canada has transformed itself many times over, from its native roots, to French and later British colonies, to Dominion, semi-independent nation, to the Canada we know today.

[Raynald Provost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un condensé fort réussi de l'histoire canadienne. Je crois que je n'ai jamais lu une histoire aussi clairement expliquée. Cela a les défauts de ses qualités, parfois on aimerait en savoir plus...Et puis il y a les touches d'humour qui allègent...

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

As an immigrant to the United States who is currently spending time in Canada, it helped my understand exactly how different 21st century Canada is to the United States, whilst simultaneously tightly integrated economically. Didn't find it to be a real page-turner though.

[Andrew West · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an American that has traveled to Canada, enjoyed Canadian media, and always enjoyed hockey, I realized I didn't know anything about Canadian history. This was a good introduction into Canada's past. Glad I read it.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting recap of Canadian history, didn't agree with everything, but it did say that it was an opinionated history.

[Mick Kralka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pleasant, entertaining read. It is a condensed version of Canadian history written in a very easy to read manner that keeps your interest by not being too dry.

[Nick Bersin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice overview of Canadian history for the uninitiated.

[Juan Manrique · Rating 5 out of 5]

IT is a nice book where you can learn a little bit of Canada's history. It goes from the beginning to the currently days. Excellent work of Nells

[Dani Ollé · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great short text that delivers on its title promise. Get to know the basics of the history of Canada with a short and enjoyable read.