Canada's Founding Debates

by Janet Ajzenstat (Editor), Ian Gentles (Editor), Paul Romney (Editor)

Canada's Founding Debates is about Confederation--about the process that brought together six out of the seven territories of British North America in the years 1864-73 to form a country called Canada. It presents excerpts from the debates on Confederation in all of the colonial parliaments from Newfoundland to British Columbia and in the constituent assembly of the Red River Colony. The voices of the powerful and those of lesser note mingle in impassioned debate on the pros and cons of creating or joining the new country, and in defining its nature.

In short explanatory essays and provocative annotations, the editors sketch the historical context of the debates and draw out the significance of what was said. By organizing the debates thematically, they bring out the depth of the founders' concern for issues that are as vital today as they were then: the meaning of liberty, the merits of democracy, the best form of self-government, the tension between collective and individual rights, the rule of law, the requirements of political leadership, and, of course, the nature of Canadian nationality. Canada's Founding Debates offers a fresh and often surprising perspective on Canada's origins, history, and political character.

Previous published by Stoddart Publishing, 1999.

Genres: Nonfiction, Canada

502 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

About the author

Janet Leslie Ajzenstat was professor of political science at McMaster University. The author of numerous works on Canadian political history, she is best known for The Political Thought of Lord Durham, where she argues that Durham's call for French-Canadian assimilation was consistent with liberal principles.

Reviews

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would've enjoyed this a lot more if I'd used it as a reference instead of reading it through in order

[Philip Girvan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invaluable reading for anyone interested in the circumstances that led to the provinces adopting a federal, rather than legislative, union. Great speeches collected on the topics of liberty and its excesses, and the role of government toward securing and maximizing citizens' liberty while avoiding the pitfalls that following the founding of the American and French republics.

No doubt the book could have been three or four times the length. The editors have done a commendable job selecting relevant passages.