The Canadians

The Old West #18

by Ogden Tanner, Time-Life Books

Discusses the exploration, settlement, and development of Canada from the seventeenth century to the end of the nineteenth.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

240 pages, Leather Bound

First published January 1, 1977

Reviews

[Pat Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of my Time Life Old West collection. This one was more interesting than I thought it would be. It starts out with telling that Canada was explored in the West before the U.S. was. They were all over the area in the 1760's which is before the Revolution was over. Furs was the attraction and two big companies were behind organizing that trade. The history of the search for an easy way to cross the continent in Canada is hashed out. This history in some parts is riveting. The conflicts with nature and the Natives was difficult. (BTW, the cold nature of Canada made everything difficult in those days in Canada) Britain's efforts to settle and protect the Canadien West is journaled. They were of course trying to colonialize the country, which for a while they succeeded at. The history of the discovery of gold is here and it is also interesting. Metis, a so called in the seventies, half-breed, a cross between Natives and French fur trappers. There were conflicts between them, the British, and the Scots. This also was exciting. The Metis were very adept at fighting and fought in a revolution that they lost. The land allocation in Canada was more wide open than the US. and thus the conflicts. Changes were made and unacceptable to some, namely Natives and Metis. The Royal Canadien Mounted Police history is told. Again, an interesting read. The Mounties were known for their courage and durability and for being honest, a trait which was in scarce supply in the US and Canada as well. Lastly, the railroad and its construction and conflicts, and tales of Natives from the US and the conflicts are iterated. The reading was exciting about those too. I suspect that a good part of the enjoyment was the writing and research. It goes into a bit of depth which I found enjoyable. Anyone interested in the Old West would like this.

[Henry Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when a book tells be about a portion of history that I know almost nothing about and does it well.

[Steven Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first chapter begins with the bold title--"A Primeval Northland as Big as Europe." Indeed, for settlers, Canada posed a daunting task. The text notes that (Page 7): "The immense territory, greater in area than all Western Europe, embraced every extreme of terrain and climate, from prairies where summer temperatures could reach 110 degrees F., to a bleak north country locked in ice." There were formidable mountain ranges, such as the Rockies.

This volume, part of the Time-Life "The Old West" series takes a look at Western Canada. The book begins with the intrepid fur traders who went west. Some were French; some were Scots. This process began even before the liked of Daniel Boone struck out toward the West in the United States. The effort to exploit the western part of Canada was a part of the desire to find a "Northwest Passage." Key players such as Henry Hudson, Samuel de Champlain, and Jacques Cartier were among the first. The map on pages 26-27 lays out the trails used to begin the exploration/exploitation of the West. The first chapter, too, discusses the exploits of Alexander MacKenzie. An interesting twist here is the competition between the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company. . . .

Chapter 2 focuses on the efforts to find a trail to the Pacific. Here, MacKenzie was a key figure. Chapter 3 begins to examine the development of western provinces, such as British Columbia. Chapter 5 notes the importance of the development of the Northwest Mounted Police in imposing some order on the West. The final chapter looks at the importance of the transcontinental railroad in Canada.

As with other books in this series, the sidebars providing additional information on actors/technology/etc. are helpful. Useful maps are provided. To me, even more, is the array of photographs and artistic renderings of the development of the Canadian West. These provide an immediacy that contributes considerably to this volume.

Another fine addition to the series. . . .

[JC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good overview of the settling of the Canadian West. As an American who just moved to Canada, this helped me to get to know some of the history. I definitely recommend this to anyone who is curious.

I found the similarities and the differences between this era in the American west and the Canadian West quite interesting.