2TT3 Survey of Canadian History, 1885 to the Present - McMaster ...

Course Overview
HISTORY 2TT3E
CANADIAN HISTORY SINCE 1885
Instructor: Dr. Neil White
Lectures: Monday 7:00 – 9:00 pm JHE 376
Email: whitent@mcmaster.ca
Phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 24136
Office Hours: Monday 3:30-5:00 pm
Room: CNH 603
2TT3E surveys Canadian history since 1885 on a number of levels. I will begin
with a summary of Canada’s immediate post-confederation history. I will then cover
early Canadian economics, politics, and society; the impact of World War I; the Great
Depression and World War II; Newfoundland’s late entrance into Confederation; the
evolution of the Canadian welfare state; to some observations on how Canadians have
grappled with more contemporary issues like environmental protection and globalization.
Along the way, guest lecturers will provide more specific case studies linked to the
bigger issues I discussed. I intend to focus throughout the course on the ways Canadians
have shaped their identities in response to wider social, economic and political trends.
This course rejects the idea of a single Canadian story. A history of Canadian
society that incorporates ethnic, religious, gender, and class relations qualifies the idea of
a single national history by showing that Canadians have been divided internally on an
array of issues from the execution of Louis Riel to ongoing debates on the federalprovincial
balance of power and native land rights. Canada has been and continues to be
a nation comprised of peoples with various and often competing identities; a nation
searching for a national character. Grounding case studies in a wider political, economic,
and social context enriches broad and narrow views of Canada’s historical development.
2TT3E will lead students to a complex and more comprehensive understanding of
Canadian history since 1885.
Course Texts
Either:
J. M. Bumsted, A History of the Canadian Peoples, 3 rd Edition. Don Mills: Oxford
University Press, 2007.
Or:
J. M. Bumsted, The Peoples of Canada: A Post-Confederation History, 2 nd Edition. Don
Mills: Oxford University Press, 2004.
History 2TT3E Custom Courseware
1

Note: Those of you who took Canadian History with Dr. Cruikshank last term will
already own A History of the Canadian Peoples. The other text, The Peoples of Canada,
goes into post-Confederation history in greater detail. You have the option of using
either, but I have ordered only copies of A History of the Canadian Peoples at Titles
Bookstore. I have listed readings for each week as sections from A History of the
Canadian Peoples OR from The Peoples of Canada. Either is okay.
Evaluation
Tutorial Participation 20%
Article Review (Due 28 January) 10%
Essay Outline and Annotated
Bibliography (Due 11 February) 10%
Research Essay (Due 17 March) 30%
Final Exam (TBA) 30%
Participation (20%)
Active and informed participation in the weekly tutorials makes up twenty percent of
your course grade. More importantly, it provides a forum for you to shape and refine
your own understanding of Canada’s past by engaging in a conversation with your peers
and tutorial leader.
Tutorials are your time. Lead the discussion toward more contemporary issues, discuss
how the current week’s topics relate to other course themes, raise a point that I may have
overlooked, or discuss how the topics relate to the wider practice of researching and
writing history. Just try to stay generally on topic and treat everyone with respect.
Your TA and I hold regular office hours. See us if you have questions or concerns.
Review Essay (10%)
Due 28 January / Week 4
History 2TT3E is a Humanities course and you are expected to be able to convey your
well-researched interpretations clearly and succinctly in analytical essays. The major
assignment for this course is a 12-page research paper that uses at least six reliable
secondary sources (See the Research Paper section and attached list of essay topics). The
major paper is worth 30%. It is a significant part of the course grade. The first two
assignments are meant to build your interpretive, organizational, and essay writing skills
to assist you with the major paper.
2

First you will write a short review essay of either Ian McKay, “Tartanism Triumphant:
the Construction of Scottishness in Nova Scotia,” Acadiensis 21, 2 (1992): 5-47 OR
Robert Cupido, “Appropriating the Past: Pageants, Politics, and the Diamond Jubilee of
Confederation,” Journal of the Canadian Historical Association 9 (1998): 155-186. It
will show your TA if you understand the course readings and give her or him a chance to
‘catch’ serious grammatical, stylistic, or interpretive errors before the research paper.
The review should begin with a brief introduction to the author and his main points. Who
is he and what is the article’s main focus? The first paragraph should end with a
reasoned and fair assessment of the article’s value. Was it convincing and – briefly –
why or why not? That is your thesis statement, the unifying argument that will lead your
TA through the remainder of your review.
In the body of your review, you should more fully describe the article’s thesis and
specific themes. Expand on your opening statement about the author’s main purpose and
describe some of the evidence and examples the author uses. Then you should comment
on the mechanics of the essay. Was its structure logical? As far as you know were the
author’s sources appropriate for the topic?
Next, critique and/or defend the article’s argument and content. Was the thesis
convincing? Refer to specific examples in the essay and explain why or why not. How
does it contribute to our understanding of Canadian history? What does the article tell us
about national and regional identities? Finally, sum up your review in a short concluding
paragraph.
Five to six double-spaced pages with a 12-point font and regular margins (1 inch top and
bottom, 1.25 inches left and right). Those margins are usually the default settings for
word processing programs.
Please remember to keep copies of all of your assignments and your research notes.
I may ask to see them.
Essay Outline and Annotated Bibliography (10%)
Due 11 February / Week 6
You will submit a working thesis statement, outline, and annotated bibliography on your
chosen essay topic (see the list of topics below) five weeks before the finished research
essay is due. You may do a topic that is not on the list if your Teaching Assistant
approves the topic change.
By submitting a formal outline and an annotated bibliography your TA will get a sense of
your preparation to that point and can aid you individually. Getting constructive
feedback at the outline stage can head off major interpretive and structural errors in your
research essay.
3

Your essay question should appear at the top of the first page followed by a complete
working thesis statement.
Following your thesis, outline the main points of your argument, the main pieces of
evidence and accompanying analysis you will use to support those points, and which
sources your evidence comes from. This part of the assignment should be in bullet or jotnote
format. Keep in mind that your TA needs to understand what you are talking about
so be as clear as possible.
Finally, include an annotated bibliography of the six or more secondary sources you plan
to use in your essay. An annotated bibliography provides complete citations and a brief
summary – no more than roughly 100 words or seven or eight lines of text - of the focus
and main point(s) of each article or book.
For proper citation format, consult Kate L. Turabian, A Manual For Writers of Term
Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7 th Edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press,
2007. The book is available in the Mills Library reference section (second floor). The
call number is LB2369 .T8 2007.
Each essay must use at least six reliable secondary sources. I have provided three
reliable secondary sources for each topic. It is up to you to find the rest. The library’s
online article database is one way to search for sources on your topic. Another way is to
use the library catalogue Morris. You should also consult Doug Owram (ed.), Canadian
History: A Reader’s Guide, Volume 2 (1994) in the reference section of the library. The
Reader’s Guide is a large annotated bibliography of Canadian history arranged by
subject.
I strongly encourage you to talk to your Teaching Assistant about your topic. She or he
may be able to direct you toward a useful source beyond those listed below.
You must use reliable published secondary sources for your research essay. Internet sites
can be useful sources of general information about a topic, but they have proven time and
again to be easily manipulated and full of misleading and false information. Published
secondary works of history, on the other hand, have been peer-reviewed by experienced
scholars to ensure accuracy and quality of historical inquiry. Therefore, websites are not
acceptable sources for your research essay. Use published secondary sources only.
Articles from online academic journals are acceptable sources. Cite them as you would a
paper journal in the library (e.g. Jane Doe, “‘Pass Me Another Welfare Check’: A Social
History of Canadian Punk Rock,” History Canada 10 (2000), 211-228.). You do not
need to include the web address.
None of your additional sources can be:
a) survey textbooks like Bumsted’s A History of the Canadian Peoples
b) internet sources unless they are articles from academic journals online
4

c) newspaper or magazine articles
d) sources that are too close to the time of the event or issue that you are writing
about (e.g. an article on the internment of Japanese Canadians written in 1945)
e) book reviews
f) encyclopedia entries
Research Essay (30%)
Due 17 March / Week 10
Write a balanced, clearly argued, and logically-structured 12-page research paper on the
Canadian History topic you chose. The essay should answer the question(s) you were
asked. Make sure you include suggestions made by your tutorial leader on your article
review and outline.
Remember to use at least six reliable secondary sources effectively. If you do not use at
least six appropriate sources you cannot receive a grade higher than the “D” range (50-
59%). Your grade will likely be lower than that.
Make sure you have approval to do a topic not on the list. If not you will receive a failing
grade on the assignment.
Footnotes/Endnotes and Bibliography: Each essay must have foot- or endnotes that
show your TA where you got your evidence. I expect TAs who are unsure about a
particular piece of evidence to check it for accuracy. Essays must have a formal
Bibliography – not a Works Cited – that contains an alphabetized list of all of the sources
you consulted for the paper. Follow the “Turabian” format for foot/endnotes and
bibliography. Do not include bibliographic citations for sources that are not cited in the
essay. Seasoned TAs like yours spot “bibliography padding” and other common essay
writing tricks with ease, and sometimes with glee.
If you have serious concerns about your writing visit your TA during her or his office
hours in a reasonable period of time before your assignment is due. You can also get
tailored assistance from the Centre for Student Development (CSD). Visit the website at
http://csd.mcmaster.ca, email csd@mcmaster.ca, phone (905) 525-9140 ext. 24711 or pay
them a visit. The CSD is located on the lower level of the McMaster University Centre
near the south elevators. If you have a disability and require accommodation please
contact the CSD. The website for Services for Students with Disabilities is
http://csd.mcmaster.ca/sswd/, the email address is csd@mcmaster.ca, and the office
phone number is (905) 525-9140 ext. 24711.
The History Department will hold an undergraduate history essay writing workshop this
term on Monday, 28 January.
Twelve pages with a 12-point font and regular margins.
5

Final Exam (30%)
The final exam will be composed of two sections. Section A will consist of eight short
answer identifications. You will be required to briefly describe and/or define the ID (ex.
Clifford Sifton, Winnipeg General Strike, or Meech Lake) situate it within its proper
historical context, and describe its historical significance. The list will be drawn from all
readings and lectures. I will distribute a list of a number of possible identifications prior
to the exam. From that list I will choose randomly a smaller list of eight that will appear
on the exam. You will have to do six of those eight IDs. (12%)
Section B will consist of three essay questions. Pick one of those three questions and
write a well-argued logically structured essay supported with evidence from lectures and
readings. The essay questions will require you to address themes and content spanning
the entire course. (18%)
Late Assignment Policy
On-time assignments must be submitted to your Teaching Assistant at the end of the
Monday tutorial on which they are due. Do not submit assignments to me at the
beginning or end of lectures. Deposit late assignments in the History Department drop
box (CNH-619) so they can be officially stamped and sorted. Indicate the course number
and your Teaching Assistant’s name and your tutorial number on the title page or on the
header of your assignment.
Late papers will receive a minus (-) 3% penalty every day late. Saturday and Sunday
count as one day late or -3%.
Only legitimate documented excuses will receive extensions.
A Warning About Academic Dishonesty
Take the time to understand what Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism mean.
Students are strongly encouraged to read the university’s policy on Academic Dishonesty
and to approach the instructor or your Teaching Assistant with any questions they might
have on this subject.
The McMaster University Academic Calendar defines academic dishonesty as “not
qualitatively different from other types of dishonesty. It consists of misrepresentation by
deception or by other fraudulent means. In an academic setting, this may include any
number of forms such as:
- copying or the unauthorized use of aids in tests, examinations and laboratory
reports,
6

- plagiarism, i.e., the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which
previous credit has been obtained, unless the previously submitted work was
presented as such to the instructor of the second course and was deemed
acceptable for credit by the instructor of that course,
- aiding and abetting another student’s dishonesty,
- giving false information for the purposes of gaining admission or credit,
- giving false information for the purposes of obtaining deferred examinations or
extension of deadlines, and
- forging or falsifying McMaster University documents.” (p.29)
For the purposes of this course pay particular attention to points one, two, three, and five.
According to the university calendar “allegations of academic dishonesty will be handled
according to the procedures described in the Academic Integrity Policy. Penalties may
be imposed on students who have been found guilty of academic dishonesty. Examples of
penalties include a mark of zero on an assignment, zero for the course with a transcript
notation, and suspension or expulsion from the University, etc.” (p.29)
For more comprehensive descriptions of the regulations, the forms of academic
dishonesty, and the penalties students can incur see the Academic Integrity Policy,
specifically Appendix 3, located at:
http://www.mcmaster.ca/univsec/policy/AcademicIntegrity.pdf. You can access the
McMaster University Academic Calendar online at:
http://registrar.mcmaster.ca/CALENDAR/year2007/pdf/senate.pdf or get a paper copy
from the university bookstore.
In order to minimize academic dishonesty, the course instructor may request that a
student submit an electronic copy of a particular assignment to Turnitin.com. Please
keep electronic copies of your assignments as well as your handwritten research notes.
Email Communication Policy
It is the policy of the McMaster History department that all email communication
between students and instructors (including TAs) must originate from their official
McMaster University email accounts. This policy protects the confidentiality and
sensitivity of information and confirms the identities of both the student and instructor.
History department instructors will delete messages that do not originate from McMaster
email accounts.
WebCT
We will be using WebCT for its online discussion forum, to remind you of upcoming
deadlines or changes to the course (e.g. what to do in the case of a Monday snow day),
and for keeping track of grades. The 2TT3E site will have a copy of the course syllabus
7

as well. I may put some lecture notes on the site, but I want to stress that WebCT will be
no substitute for attending lectures and tutorials, and doing the weekly readings.
Go to http://www.ltrc.mcmaster.ca/webct/index.shtml and login in using your MacID -
the part of your Mac email address before the @mcmaster.ca – and password. It is the
same ID and password you use to login to MUGSI.
Upon logging into WebCT you will get an index page with all of the courses available to
you. Click on “History 2TT3E: Canada Since 1885” to enter the site for this course. The
first page will have a nifty picture and reminders or alerts about the course. The left-hand
menu has links to the discussion forums, the syllabus, your grades, etc…
Feel free to use the discussion forums, but be civil and respectful to each other, your TAs
and to me. I will be monitoring the forums.
I do not plan to give 2TT3E students access to the site until the second week of the
course. I will make an announcement in lecture when WebCT is available for 2TT3E
students.
Getting The Most From Your Teaching Assistant
Your TA is a busy person. Apart from the time she or he puts into tutoring and grading
you and roughly 40 other students, they are doing time-consuming work of their own.
Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when dealing with your Teaching Assistant:
a) Go see your TA during his or her office hours. Make sure you do it in a
reasonable amount of time before your assignment is due.
b) Talk to your TA regarding questions about assignment writing and grading before
coming to see me. If you see me about these issues I will ask you “Have you
spoken to your TA about this?” If your answer is “No” I will likely refer you
back to him or her.
c) Emails are for making appointments or for answering brief questions. Emails are
not for lengthy discussions or for sending assignments as attachments. I do not
want TAs to spend large amounts of time fielding detailed questions by email.
Nor do I expect them to answer emails on the weekend (Friday evening to
Monday morning). Keep that in mind because all of your assignments are due on
Monday evenings. Refer back to the all-important point A.
d) Be civil in your dealings with TAs during tutorials, office hours, and over email.
8

Course Schedule and Readings
Week One (7 January): Course Overview / Defining Identity
No Readings and No Tutorials
Week Two (14 January): Canada in the Late Nineteenth Century / The Northwest
Rebellion and its Impact
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 6 OR The Peoples of Canada, Chapter 2
Tutorial Readings:
Lynne Marks, “The Knights of Labor and the Salvation Army: Religion and Working-
Class Culture in Ontario, 1882-1890,” in Chad Gaffield (ed.) Constructing
Modern Canada: Readings in Post-Confederation History. Toronto: Copp Clark
Longman, 1994.
Tina Loo, “Dan Cramer’s Potlatch: Law as Coercion, Symbol, and Rhetoric in British
Columbia, 1884-1951,” in Chad Gaffield (ed.) Constructing Modern Canada:
Readings in Post-Confederation History. Toronto: Copp Clark Longman, 1994.
Week Three (21 January): Demographic Boom and Laurier’s “Governing Party”
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 7, pages 271-311 OR The Peoples of
Canada, Part II
Tutorial Readings:
Craig Heron, “The Reign of King Alcohol,” in Booze: A Distilled History. Toronto:
Between the Lines, 2003.
Stephen Davies, “Reckless Walking Must Be Discouraged: The Automobile Revolution
and the Shaping of Modern Urban Canada to 1930,” Urban History Review 18, 2
(1989).
9

Week Four (28 January): The Great War: Death in the Trenches, Tensions at Home /
Identity and the Canadian Soldier (Maarten Gerritsen)
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 7, pages 311-322 OR The Peoples of
Canada, Chapter 9
Tutorial Readings:
Sandra Gwyn, “Fortunes of War,” in R. Douglas Francis and Donald B. Smith (eds.)
Readings in Canadian History: Post-Confederation. Toronto: Nelson, 2002.
Jeff Keshen, “The Great Soldier as Nation Builder in Canada and Australia,” in Briton C.
Busch (ed.) Canada and the Great War: Western Front Association Papers.
Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2003.
***Article Review Due at the end of tutorial.
Week Five (4 February): Labour and Canadian Society After World War I
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 8, pages 323-334 and 341-355 OR The
Peoples of Canada, Chapter 10, pages 209-217
Tutorial Readings:
Stephen Penfold, “‘Have You No Manhood in You?’: Gender and Class in the Cape
Breton Coal Towns, 1920-1926,” Acadiensis 23 (Spring 1994).
Nelson Wiseman, “The Pattern of Prairie Politics,” Queen’s Quarterly 88 (1981).
Week Six (11 February): The Depression and Mackenzie-King’s Foreign “Policy” /
Social Insecurity: Crisis and Reform in Canadian Cities (Ryan George)
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 8, pages 334-341 OR The Peoples of
Canada, Chapter 10, pages 218-231, 239-244, 248-256
10

Tutorial Readings:
Wendy Johnston, “Keeping Children in School: The Response of the Catholic School
Commission to the Depression of the 1930s,” Historical Papers (1985).
Joan Sangster, “Maintaining Respectability, Coping With Crises,” in Earning Respect:
The Lives of Working Women in Small-Town Ontario, 1920-1960. Toronto:
University of Toronto Press, 1995.
***Essay Outline and Annotated Bibliography Due at the end of tutorial.
NO CLASS (18 February): Reading Week
Week Seven (25 February): The Second World War: War in Europe, Tensions at
Home (John McKerrow) / Baby Booms and Welfare States: Society in Postwar Canada
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 8, pages 355-364 and Chapter 9 pages 365-
388 OR The Peoples of Canada, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, and Chapter 15 pages 351-359
Tutorial Readings:
Veronica Strong-Boag, “Home Dreams: Women and the Suburban Experiment in
Canada, 1945-1960,” in Chad Gaffield (ed.) Constructing Modern Canada:
Readings in Post-Confederation History. Toronto: Copp Clark Longman, 1994.
Robinson, Daniel J. and David Kimmel, “The Queer Career of Homosexual Security
Vetting in Cold War Canada,” Canadian Historical Review 75 (1994).
Week Eight (3 March): Newfoundland Straggles into Confederation / (Im)migration
and Community Building: A Case Study of Cambridge, Ontario (Karen Dearlove)
Background Readings:
None in A History of the Canadian Peoples. The Peoples of Canada, Chapter 15, pages
350-351.
Tutorial Readings:
Ernest R. Forbes, “Consolidating Disparity: The Maritimes and the Industrialization of
Canada During the Second World War,” in Chad Gaffield (ed.) Constructing
11

Modern Canada: Readings in Post-Confederation History. Toronto: Copp Clark
Longman, 1994.
Jeff Webb, “Confederation, Conspiracy or Choice: A Discussion,” Newfoundland and
Labrador Studies 14, 2 (Fall 1998).
Week Nine (10 March): The Dream of ’67 / Modernism at a Crossroad: The Spadina
Expressway Controversy in Toronto, 1960-1971 (Danielle Robinson)
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 10 pages 406-433 and 440-450 OR The
Peoples of Canada, Chapter 15, pages 340-350, 362-367, Chapter 17, pages 391-397 and
400-420.
Tutorial Readings:
Hewitt, Steve, “‘Information Believed True’: RCMP Security Intelligence Activities on
Canadian University Campuses and the Controversy Surrounding Them, 1961-
1971,” Canadian Historical Review 81 (2000).
***The major research essay is due next Monday!
Week Ten (17 March): Quebec’s “Quiet Revolution”
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 9 pages 389-391 and Chapter 10 pages 433-
440 OR The Peoples of Canada, Chapter 16
Tutorial Readings:
Jacques Rouillard, “The Quiet Revolution: A Turning Point in Quebec History,” in R.
Douglas Francis and Donald B. Smith (eds.) Readings in Canadian History: Post-
Confederation. Toronto: Nelson, 2002.
Richard Jones, “Politics and the Reinforcement of the French Language in Canada and
Quebec, 1960-1986,” in R. Douglas Francis and Donald B. Smith (eds.) Readings
in Canadian History: Post-Confederation. Toronto: Nelson, 2002.
***Major Research Essay Due at the end of tutorial.
12

Week Eleven (24 March): Style Vs. Substance: The Legacy of Pierre Trudeau
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 11 pages 451-471 and 474-492 OR The
Peoples of Canada, Chapter 20, pages 477-497, Chapter 21, pages 505-515, Chapter 24,
pages 587-588
Tutorial Readings:
Robert C. Vipond, “Citizenship and the Charter of Rights: the Two Sides of Pierre
Trudeau,” International Journal of Canadian Studies 14 (1996).
Will Kymlicka, “The Merits of Multiculturalism,” in R. Douglas Francis and Donald B.
Smith (eds.) Readings in Canadian History: Post-Confederation. Toronto:
Nelson, 2002.
Week Twelve (31 March): Protecting Our Environment / (Margaret Rockwell)
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 12 pages 507-509 and Chapter 13 pages 538-
539 OR The Peoples of Canada, Chapter 21, pages 522-523 and Epilogue, pages 600-
601
Tutorial Readings:
Read, Jennifer, “‘Let Us Heed the Voice of Youth’: Laundry Detergents, Phosphates, and
the Emergence of the Environmental Movement in Ontario,” Journal of the
Canadian Historical Association 7 (1996).
Jenson, Jane and Martin Papillon, “Challenging the Citizenship Regime: The James Bay
Cree and Transnational Action,” Politics and Society 28 (2000).
Week Thirteen (7 April): Canadian-ness in an Age of Globalization / Course Review
Background Readings:
A History of the Canadian Peoples, Chapter 11 pages 471-474, Chapter 12 and Chapter
13 OR The Peoples of Canada, Chapter 20, pages 497-503, Chapter 21, pages 515-522,
Chapter 22, pages 525-536 and 538-545, Chapter 23, pages 557-562, Chapter 24, pages
589-593, Epilogue, pages 599-600
Tutorial Readings:
Lyle Dick, “‘A New History for the New Millennium’: Canada: A People’s History,”
Canadian Historical Review 85 (March 2004).
13

Essay Topics
1. Analyze historians’ descriptions of Canadian immigration policy between the
1890s and the 1930s. We often imagine that Canada has a long history of
welcoming diverse types of people to the country. From the last decades of the
nineteenth century up to the Great Depression some Canadians pushed for an
‘Open Door’ for immigrants. Some historians argue that immigration policy was
restrictive and based on racial prejudice. Why? What other considerations were
involved? Was racial prejudice consistently the driving force in the creation of
immigration policy?
Reginald Whitaker, Canadian Immigration Policy Since Confederation (1991).
Gerald Tulchinsky (ed.), Immigration in Canada: Historical Perspectives (1994).
Donald Avery, Reluctant Host: Canada’s Response to Immigrant Workers, 1896-1994
(1995).
2. Why did so many middle class women participate in the social reform movement
between roughly 1890 and 1920? Did their interest in social reform arise out of
boredom or other ephemeral personal concerns, humanitarian beliefs, professional
self-interest, or a radical feminist critique of sexual inequality in Canada? Use
specific examples from the literature. Do historians agree about the reasons
women became social reformers?
Linda Kealey (ed.), A Not Unreasonable Claim: Women and Reform in Canada, 1880s –
1920s (1979)
Carol Lee Bacchi, Liberation Deferred: The Ideas of English-Canadian Suffragists,
1877-1918 (1983)
Carolyn Strange and Tina Loo, Making Good: Law and Moral Regulation in Canada,
1867-1939 (1997)
3. Between the last years of the First World War and the mid-1920s Canadian
workers participated in a wave of strikes demanding their voices be heard by
Canada’s business and political elite. Explain the upsurge in labour unrest in
Canada between 1917 and 1925. What, according to historians, were workers
trying to accomplish? Was it truly, as some historians contend, a national “labour
revolt”? Did Canadian workers succeed in their struggles?
David Bercuson, Confrontation at Winnipeg: Labour, Industrial Relations and the
General Strike, Revised Edition (1990).
Bryan Palmer, Working Class Experience: Rethinking the History of Canadian Labour,
1800-1991, Second Edition (1992).
Craig Heron ed., The Workers’ Revolt in Canada, 1917-1925 (1998).
14

4. Residents, politicians, and historians tend to view Atlantic Canada as traditionally
underdeveloped compared to other parts of the county. From the late nineteenth
century until the end of World War II Atlantic Canadians voiced their displeasure
with their place in Canada in a number of ways. According to historians, why and
in what ways was Atlantic Canada “underdeveloped”? Discuss Atlantic
Canadians’ responses to regional inequality. Were the protests effective? Why or
why not?
T.W. Acheson, “The National Policy and the Industrialization of the Maritimes, 1880-
1910,” in P.A. Buckner and David Frank eds., The Acadiensis Reader, Volume II:
Atlantic Canada After Confederation, pp. 164-189.
E.R. Forbes, The Maritime Rights Movement, 1919-1927: A Study in Canadian
Regionalism (1979).
James Bickerton, Nova Scotia, Ottawa and the Politics of Regional Development (1990).
5. Canada’s Prairie region has its own grievances about what its residents see as
economic, political, and social domination from central Canada. But historians
like Alvin Finkel have shown that the people of Saskatchewan and Alberta have
expressed their discontent quite differently from one another. What are the major
differences between the Prairie neighbours in terms of federal-provincial relations
and what are their causes? Do differences within regions invalidate the notion of
“regional identities” in Canada? Why or why not?
John Richards and Larry Pratt, Prairie Capitalism: Power and Influence in the New West
(1979)
Alvin Finkel, The Social Credit Phenomenon in Alberta (1989).
A.W. Johnson and Rosemary Proctor, Dream No Little Dreams: A Biography of the
Douglas Government of Saskatchewan, 1944-1961 (2004).
6. Compare historians’ descriptions of the Canadian government’s treatment of
“enemy aliens” to descriptions of Canada’s treatment of refugees during the
Second World War. Were policies determined by the racist beliefs of officials or
is the issue more complex? Do historians agree with each other? Explain.
Ken Adachi, The Enemy That Never Was: A History of Japanese Canadians (1991).
Luigi Bruti Liberati, “The Internment of Italian Canadians,” in Franca Iacovetta, et al.,
eds. Enemies Within: Italian and Other Internees in Canada and Abroad (2000),
pp. 76-98.
Irving Abella and Harold Troper, ‘None Is Too Many’: Canada and the Jews of Europe,
1933-1948, Third Edition (2000).
15

7. Newfoundland joined Canada much later than the other provinces. From the mid-
1860s to the beginning of the twentieth century the fledgling nation refused
mainland officials’ requests to join Canada several times. Between 1933 and
1948, however, the relationship between Newfoundland and Canada changed. In
1949 Newfoundland became Canada’s tenth province. Engage with the historical
literature on the lead up to Newfoundland Confederation between the late 1920s
and 1949 to account for Newfoundlanders’ decision to join Canada. How much
was the decision shaped by forces and events inside Newfoundland? To what
extent was it shaped by the external influence of the British and Canadian
governments?
S.J.R. Noel, Politics in Newfoundland. (1971)
David MacKenzie, Inside the Atlantic Triangle: Canada and the Entrance of
Newfoundland into Confederation, 1939-1949. (1986)
Peter Neary, Newfoundland in the North Atlantic World, 1929-1949. (1988)
8. The expansion of the Canadian welfare state during and after the Second World
War improved Canadian working class women’s quality of life in every way from
what it had been in the past. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific evidence
and lucid analysis to defend your position.
Ruth Roach Pierson, “They’re Still Women After All:” The Second World War and
Canadian Womanhood (1986).
Bettina Bradbury, Working Families: Age, Gender, and Daily Survival in Industrializing
Montreal (1993).
Nancy Christie, Engendering the State: Family Work and Welfare in Canada (2000).
9. How have historians viewed the development of Canadian culture since the end
the Second World War? Did Canada maintain and expand its own unique culture
or was Canadian culture “swamped” by American cultural practices and
institutions? Explain with specific references from your sources. Offer your
informed and balanced opinion on how changes to postwar Canadian culture have
influenced national and/or regional identities in Canada.
Bruce Kidd and John Macfarlane, The Death of Hockey (1972)
Paul Litt, The Muses, The Masses, and The Massey Commission (1992)
David Flaherty and Frank Manning (eds.), The Beaver Bites Back?: American Popular
Culture in Canada (1993)
10. Why and in what ways has support for Quebec nationalism and independence
from Canada grown since the Quiet Revolution of the 1960s? Is any single
historian’s take on this topic more convincing than the others? Why or why not?
16

William Coleman, The Independence Movement in Quebec, 1945-1980 (1984).
Maurice Pinard and Richard Hamilton, “The Class Bases of the Independence
Movement: Conjectures and Evidence,” Ethnic and Racial Studies 7 (1984), pp.
20-54.
Kenneth McRoberts, Quebec: Social Change and Political Crisis (1988).
11. Pierre Trudeau is regarded, for better or worse, as the architect of the Canada we
live in today. What is the legacy of Pierre Trudeau? Did his words and actions as
Prime Minister make Canada a better country than it was before or did Trudeau
weaken Canada socially, economically, or politically? Can we reconcile the two
seemingly opposite positions?
Andrew Cohen and J.L. Granatstein eds., Trudeau’s Shadow: the Life and Legacy of
Pierre Elliott Trudeau (1998).
Richard Gwyn, Northern Magus: Pierre Trudeau and Canadians (1980).
Guy Laforest, Trudeau and the End of a Canadian Dream (1995).
12. Since September 11 th 2001 Canadian authorities have implemented tougher
passport screening, background checks, and border security to coincide with
American national security policies. A comparable situation existed in Canada
during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. How,
according to historians, did the Cold War affect Canada’s diplomatic and political
relationship with the United States and how did the “Red Scare” influence
Canadian society? With specific references to the historical literature offer your
educated opinion on whether or not the strict national security policies adopted by
Canada during the Cold War were justified.
Reginald Whitaker and Gary Marcuse, Cold War Canada: Building the National
Insecurity State, 1945-1957 (1994).
John Herd Thompson and Stephen J. Randall, Canada and the United States: Ambivalent
Allies (1994).
Andrew Preston, “Balancing War and Peace: Canadian Foreign Policy and the Vietnam
War, 1961-1965,” Diplomatic History 27 (2003), 73-111.
13. Canada’s First People are sometimes overlooked in discussions of post-
Confederation history. When they are discussed it is often in terms of how poorly
they were treated at a given moment or through examples of First Peoples’
continuing unequal social, economic and political standing in Canada. Indigenous
groups in Canada have experienced immense hardship since Confederation, but
recent events suggest the growing empowerment of the First Nations. Why and in
what ways has the Native Rights Movement challenged patterns of neglect? Has
17

it been successful? Are the results equally felt across Canada? Can we speak of
an indigenous renaissance? Why or why not?
J. Rick Ponting, ed., First Nations in Canada: Perspectives on Opportunity,
Empowerment and Self-Determination (1997).
J.R. Miller, Skyscrapers Hide the Heavens: A History of Indian-White Relations in
Canada, Third Edition (2000).
Ken Coates, The Marshall Decision and Native Rights (2000).
14. The historical profession changes over time. New research into previously
overlooked historical topics, new scholarship, and ongoing dialogue between
historians and with wider society results in new perspectives on the past. The
study of these changes is called historiography. Use works of Canadian
historiography to analyze how and why the study of Canada’s past has changed
since the 1960s? In your reasoned and balanced opinion, are the changes mainly
positive or negative? Why?
Carl Berger, The Writing of Canadian History: Aspects of English-Canadian Historical
Writing Since 1900, Second Edition (1986) ***It is important that you get the
second edition.
J.L. Granatstein, Who Killed Canadian History? (1998)
A.B. MacKillop, “Who Killed Canadian History? A View from the Trenches,” Canadian
Historical Review 80, 2 (1999): 269-299.
18