A History of Canada

By Bernard White

Spanning millennia, this comprehensive history tells the story of Canada as a grand, unfolding negotiation. It begins thousands of years before European contact, with the rich and diverse societies of the First Peoples, and traces the dramatic collision of worlds that followed the arrival of French and British explorers. This narrative explores the foundational rivalries and alliances that shaped the continent, from the vast commercial empire of the fur trade to the decisive conflicts that left a French-speaking society under British rule. It is the story of a nation that came into being not through a single, fiery revolution, but through a determined, evolutionary process of compromise and constitutional debate.

The journey to nationhood is charted through its pivotal moments: the influx of Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution, the rebellions that paved the way for responsible government, and the pragmatic conferences that led to the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867. The monumental task of nation-building unfolds with the westward expansion to the Pacific, a dream made real by the steel ribbon of the Canadian Pacific Railway. The narrative follows Canada's transformation through the unprecedented prosperity and mass immigration of the early 20th century, and its coming of age forged in the immense sacrifices of two World Wars.

Discover the profound social and political upheavals that defined modern Canada. The story delves into the post-war boom that created a robust middle class and a comprehensive social safety net, including the universal healthcare that would become a cornerstone of the national identity. It examines the Quiet Revolution in Quebec, a period of intense social change that ignited a powerful new wave of nationalism, and the subsequent decades of constitutional debate, culminating in the patriation of the Constitution and the creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms under Pierre Trudeau.

Bringing the story to the present day, this account navigates the complex challenges and opportunities of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It explores the economic shifts brought by free trade, the country's response to the War on Terror, and the conservative turn of the Harper decade. The narrative concludes by examining the defining issues of contemporary Canada: the urgent and ongoing process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, the social and political polarization of a post-pandemic world, and the existential threat of climate change, all while the country continues its search for a cohesive identity and its place in an increasingly unstable world.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0G2KXC78W
• ISBN13: 9798274767415
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 164 Pages
• Weight: 0.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"