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A Brief History of Canada
This single volume provides a concise, highly readable introduction to the growth and development of a unique land and its people. Veteran historian Roger Riendeau masterfully surveys the origins of Canada from its First peoples through European contact, the rise and fall of the French Empire, English Conquest, the road to nationhood, and the struggles of a complex society to the end of the second millennium. Complete with text illustrations, maps, and an exhaustive index, A Brief History of Canada is a readily accessible reference for students and an engaging narrative for anyone who wants to learn more about this diverse and often enigmatic land.
- GenresHistoryCanadaNonfiction
310 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 18, 2009
The question that most maddens Canadians coming from Americans, or so Canadians have told me, is, “What is the difference between Canada and the United States?” The implicit assumption in this question is that Canada is further north in North America, but other than that, more or less the “same” as the U.S.
A reading of Roger Riendeau’s “A Brief History of Canada” provides a different answer, in fact, many different answers.
First of all, Canada is a nation in its own right that should no more be evaluated in a U.S. context than any other country. And then:
Canada is a country of two primary languages, English and French, and two primary cultures, English and French, that has successfully drawn so many immigrants from around the world that soon “others” will outnumber the Canadians who are descendents of the original English and French settlers.
Canada, like the United States, occupies a geographical space that was populated before the arrival of European explorers, traders, and settlers. Conflict between indigenous peoples and these Europeans did occur, just as in the U.S., during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, but Canada’s treatment of indigenous peoples has been, on the whole, more respectful and less violent.
Once Great Britain assumed political control of Canada from France, in 1760, it managed to remain in control, sans revolution as in the U.S., until Canada peacefully attained constitutional self-rule under the British North America Act of 1867. And even then, the mother country retained responsibility for Canada’s foreign affairs and international security.
Great Britain’s primacy in Canadian affairs did not alter the fundamental fact that Quebec largely remained French in language and culture, however. Today English and French are “official” languages, the defeat of several separatist efforts in Quebec during the latter half of the 20th century notwithstanding.
Like the United States, Canada is a continental, or transcontinental, country, but it is punctuated in the center by the massive Canadian Shield, a barren region of Precambrian rock. Further, most of its population clusters in a narrow band along the border with the U.S., Canada’s north being inhospitable for European settlement.
That population is about one tenth of the U.S. population, closely linked to the fate of the U.S. economy, its largest market, and sustained by Canada’s extraordinary resources: more coastline than the United States, more fossil fuel reserves, extraordinary deposits of iron, nickel, other valuable minerals, vast tracts of softwood timber, and a huge breadbasket full of wheat and other grains. More than 60% of the world’s lakes are located in Canada, including four of the five Great Lakes. Only Russia, with its 11 time zones, is physically larger than Canada.
Canada’s problem, then, hasn’t been a lack of natural resources. It has been the challenge of a strong English/French heritage compounded by a strong tradition of federal prerogatives that the country’s major provinces (and regions) have exercised in varying ways and at varying times. The poor Maritimes to the east, bordering the world of the Atlantic, have little in common with the richer parts of Canada in the west, occupying a perch on the edge of the Pacific. Once poor, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in the center, have gained influence thanks to advances in agricultural productivity and fossil fuel extraction. The two major historic provinces of Canada, Ontario and Quebec, remain centers of finance, manufacturing, media and politics, with Toronto gradually outstripping Montreal as the dominant Canadian metropolis.
Through Canada’s history, its great political leaders—prime ministers like Macdonald, Laurier, King, St. Laurent, and Trudeau—have walked tightropes as they balanced English and French, east, west, and central political influences. Initially, they sought to establish Canada’s sovereign field of action independent of but coordinated with Great Britain and the Empire. Then they assumed new responsibilities within the Commonwealth. Ultimately, World War II and the Cold War connected Canada intimately with the United States, and yet all the time Canadians knew they were not Americans or Brits or Frenchmen. Their problem set was that of a rising middle power with a strong economy limited by a relatively small population—far smaller than the population of the U.K., France, and comparable European countries like Germany.
One of the most perplexing chapters in Riendeau’s history of Canada has to do with the failure of the Trudeau administration to achieve energy independence, shielding the Canadian economy from world oil-price increases. As noted, Canada has vast petroleum reserves, natural gas, hydroelectric and wind power. If any nation should be able to provide its own energy, it’s Canada, but “protecting” the Canadian marketplace from U.S. influence apparently is almost impossible. When Americans will pay more for Canadian energy, it’s difficult for Canadians not to sell it to them at a handsome profit.
Over the course of its history, Canada, like the U.S., has seen its rural/agricultural population decline to about 2% as its urban population has burgeoned. As this transformation occurred, traditional Canadian folkways—state fairs, church-based social life, handicraft pursuits and the like—withered, to be replaced by the media world aptly foretold by a Canadian, Marshall McLuhan, whose concepts, “The medium is the message,” and “the global village,” reflected changes wrought by radio, television, and film that have now been exponentially accelerated by internet connectivity.
As a parliamentary democracy, always wrestling with massive regional and cultural divisions, Canada has outdone the United States in social policy (Canada’s health system provides Canadians the same drugs Americans use at a fraction of the cost) and international peacekeeping commitments (Canada has been part of just about every U.N. peacekeeping mission since the U.N. was founded.) But again, there is no reason to give or take away points based on how Canada conducts its business in comparison with U.S. standards.
Canada, as Riendeau’s history demonstrates, has pursued its own unique path and dealt with its own unique challenges.
A reading of Roger Riendeau’s “A Brief History of Canada” provides a different answer, in fact, many different answers.
First of all, Canada is a nation in its own right that should no more be evaluated in a U.S. context than any other country. And then:
Canada is a country of two primary languages, English and French, and two primary cultures, English and French, that has successfully drawn so many immigrants from around the world that soon “others” will outnumber the Canadians who are descendents of the original English and French settlers.
Canada, like the United States, occupies a geographical space that was populated before the arrival of European explorers, traders, and settlers. Conflict between indigenous peoples and these Europeans did occur, just as in the U.S., during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, but Canada’s treatment of indigenous peoples has been, on the whole, more respectful and less violent.
Once Great Britain assumed political control of Canada from France, in 1760, it managed to remain in control, sans revolution as in the U.S., until Canada peacefully attained constitutional self-rule under the British North America Act of 1867. And even then, the mother country retained responsibility for Canada’s foreign affairs and international security.
Great Britain’s primacy in Canadian affairs did not alter the fundamental fact that Quebec largely remained French in language and culture, however. Today English and French are “official” languages, the defeat of several separatist efforts in Quebec during the latter half of the 20th century notwithstanding.
Like the United States, Canada is a continental, or transcontinental, country, but it is punctuated in the center by the massive Canadian Shield, a barren region of Precambrian rock. Further, most of its population clusters in a narrow band along the border with the U.S., Canada’s north being inhospitable for European settlement.
That population is about one tenth of the U.S. population, closely linked to the fate of the U.S. economy, its largest market, and sustained by Canada’s extraordinary resources: more coastline than the United States, more fossil fuel reserves, extraordinary deposits of iron, nickel, other valuable minerals, vast tracts of softwood timber, and a huge breadbasket full of wheat and other grains. More than 60% of the world’s lakes are located in Canada, including four of the five Great Lakes. Only Russia, with its 11 time zones, is physically larger than Canada.
Canada’s problem, then, hasn’t been a lack of natural resources. It has been the challenge of a strong English/French heritage compounded by a strong tradition of federal prerogatives that the country’s major provinces (and regions) have exercised in varying ways and at varying times. The poor Maritimes to the east, bordering the world of the Atlantic, have little in common with the richer parts of Canada in the west, occupying a perch on the edge of the Pacific. Once poor, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta in the center, have gained influence thanks to advances in agricultural productivity and fossil fuel extraction. The two major historic provinces of Canada, Ontario and Quebec, remain centers of finance, manufacturing, media and politics, with Toronto gradually outstripping Montreal as the dominant Canadian metropolis.
Through Canada’s history, its great political leaders—prime ministers like Macdonald, Laurier, King, St. Laurent, and Trudeau—have walked tightropes as they balanced English and French, east, west, and central political influences. Initially, they sought to establish Canada’s sovereign field of action independent of but coordinated with Great Britain and the Empire. Then they assumed new responsibilities within the Commonwealth. Ultimately, World War II and the Cold War connected Canada intimately with the United States, and yet all the time Canadians knew they were not Americans or Brits or Frenchmen. Their problem set was that of a rising middle power with a strong economy limited by a relatively small population—far smaller than the population of the U.K., France, and comparable European countries like Germany.
One of the most perplexing chapters in Riendeau’s history of Canada has to do with the failure of the Trudeau administration to achieve energy independence, shielding the Canadian economy from world oil-price increases. As noted, Canada has vast petroleum reserves, natural gas, hydroelectric and wind power. If any nation should be able to provide its own energy, it’s Canada, but “protecting” the Canadian marketplace from U.S. influence apparently is almost impossible. When Americans will pay more for Canadian energy, it’s difficult for Canadians not to sell it to them at a handsome profit.
Over the course of its history, Canada, like the U.S., has seen its rural/agricultural population decline to about 2% as its urban population has burgeoned. As this transformation occurred, traditional Canadian folkways—state fairs, church-based social life, handicraft pursuits and the like—withered, to be replaced by the media world aptly foretold by a Canadian, Marshall McLuhan, whose concepts, “The medium is the message,” and “the global village,” reflected changes wrought by radio, television, and film that have now been exponentially accelerated by internet connectivity.
As a parliamentary democracy, always wrestling with massive regional and cultural divisions, Canada has outdone the United States in social policy (Canada’s health system provides Canadians the same drugs Americans use at a fraction of the cost) and international peacekeeping commitments (Canada has been part of just about every U.N. peacekeeping mission since the U.N. was founded.) But again, there is no reason to give or take away points based on how Canada conducts its business in comparison with U.S. standards.
Canada, as Riendeau’s history demonstrates, has pursued its own unique path and dealt with its own unique challenges.
Currently reading
March 21, 2011Even though I lived right next to Canada and visited often I am learning about their unique history and political development.
April 13, 2017
An interesting survey of Canada, useful to those who want to learn more, particularly us Americans who live so close yet understand so little of our neighbour.
May 22, 2012
An unusual book to just pick up and read for some people – I had a reason for this pick; I married a Canadian and moved to southern Ontario. Born and raised American, I did not know much of Canada’s past and its evolution as an independent nation. Never one to back down from a challenge, I decided to learn about my husband’s country and the land that I now in.
I found the writing style very easy reading compared to other brief history books – this one focuses on the stories of the people and how they influenced Canada to grow, develop and expand into its frontiers.
The history of Canada is very different from that of America and that alone was intriguing to me. As an American, our past is filled with wars, bloodshed and the horrific treatment of our native population, not to mention the slaves that we brought over. American history books also don’t focus on the War of 1812 and to read the details of General Brock and all the battles that occurred along the borders was highly enlightening.
What also amazed me was how the establishment of neighboring countries could be so different, especially since they started out so similarly. The influence of how the countries “achieved” their freedom from Britain had a dramatic effect on how the government was formed, how political offices would be held, their views on monarchy and much more.
I found the writing style very easy reading compared to other brief history books – this one focuses on the stories of the people and how they influenced Canada to grow, develop and expand into its frontiers.
The history of Canada is very different from that of America and that alone was intriguing to me. As an American, our past is filled with wars, bloodshed and the horrific treatment of our native population, not to mention the slaves that we brought over. American history books also don’t focus on the War of 1812 and to read the details of General Brock and all the battles that occurred along the borders was highly enlightening.
What also amazed me was how the establishment of neighboring countries could be so different, especially since they started out so similarly. The influence of how the countries “achieved” their freedom from Britain had a dramatic effect on how the government was formed, how political offices would be held, their views on monarchy and much more.
May 31, 2019
A very worthwhile read. The book does a good job presenting the Canadian nationality as a separate and distinct nationality. Also, while it presented the history of Canada as it paralleled US history, it rarely made actual comparisons to US history, which made it easier for a US citizen like me to grasp Canada and Canadian history as a nation (rather than just a neighbor to the US).
July 31, 2025
Well, here's a third book in a row I didn't finish. This time, it was because the library wouldn't renew it. But I'd say that my interest curve was about the same as for the previous two (History of God and Alphabet...).
I loved it at first--who were the first settlers and where and why. (Visiting Newfoundland was not a one-time thing: it had the first European settlements, despite the climate. The potential for fishing was so great!
Then efforts to settle more of the land--though I'm not sure you could call the French trappers settled. but they were populating it. Then the context for the arrival of the earliest of my Canadian ancestors in about 1751--from Germany! Imperial Britain would not only take anybody, but would subsidize their passage and give them land. But there is evidence of Hans Bayers having been a model citizen.
Then reading about events in American History --the Revolution and the War of 1812 among them--as part of Canadian history.
I got interested during our trip to the Maritime Provinces in April, which included a visit to a free consultation on my Canadian family lines at the Scotiabank Family History Centre. After that visit and visits to historic sites, I realized that I knew very little about Canadina history. Now I know something up to about 1875, and it seems to have fallen off into chronicling economic ups and downs, and political struggles between parties. though not all provinces have reached their final forms, but that will have to await visits to Wikipedia. Now for some lighter reading!
I loved it at first--who were the first settlers and where and why. (Visiting Newfoundland was not a one-time thing: it had the first European settlements, despite the climate. The potential for fishing was so great!
Then efforts to settle more of the land--though I'm not sure you could call the French trappers settled. but they were populating it. Then the context for the arrival of the earliest of my Canadian ancestors in about 1751--from Germany! Imperial Britain would not only take anybody, but would subsidize their passage and give them land. But there is evidence of Hans Bayers having been a model citizen.
Then reading about events in American History --the Revolution and the War of 1812 among them--as part of Canadian history.
I got interested during our trip to the Maritime Provinces in April, which included a visit to a free consultation on my Canadian family lines at the Scotiabank Family History Centre. After that visit and visits to historic sites, I realized that I knew very little about Canadina history. Now I know something up to about 1875, and it seems to have fallen off into chronicling economic ups and downs, and political struggles between parties. though not all provinces have reached their final forms, but that will have to await visits to Wikipedia. Now for some lighter reading!
March 25, 2019
Very long, mostly political
July 5, 2014
This book was a slow, dry read. My purpose for reading it was to get a better grasp of how Canada went from a European colony to the nation as it is today. I suppose it did that in a round about way but I found myself skipping around a lot, something I rarely do with books. I wouldn't recommend this simply for a casual read, though it seems to have a good amount of reference material in it.
January 31, 2010
More of a textbook than general reading
July 13, 2022
First full-length history of Canada that I read (but not the last). Certainly recommendable.
March 25, 2014
A good survey and overview of Canada. Useful for reference as well.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews