Canada 1896-1921: A Nation Transformed

by Robert Craig Brown, Ramsay Cook, D.G. Creighton (Series Editor)

Volume XIV of the Canadian Centenary SeriesNow available as e-books for the first time, the Canadian Centenary Series is a comprehensive nineteen-volume history of the peoples and lands which form Canada. Although the series is designed as a unified whole so that no part of the story is left untold, each volume is complete in itself.The age of Laurier and Borden in Canada spanned a quarter of a century of dramatic growth, during which the burgeoning dominion altered radically in size and quality. A population increase of over three million, the creation of two western provinces, the opening of the north and the northwest, new levels of foreign trade and foreign investment -- these advances constituted the tangible aspects of the transformation. But the Canada that burst forth during this period was new as well in spirit and outlook. Immigration, world war, linguistic and religious differences, and the waning of Canada’s agrarian character caused fundamental and striking shifts in the nation’s DNA -- both physical and cultural. The transformation occurred against a backdrop of global changes, worldwide urban industrial growth, and new balances of power creating an international climate that affected Canada more profoundly than she could affect it. In surveying this period of history, professors Brown and Cook have examined the relevant writing and research, including the exciting work of a new generation of historians.First published in 1974, Canada, 1896-1921 , an incisive and mature work of scholarship on a crucial phase in the history of Canada, is available here as an e-book for the first time.

Genres: Canada, History

412 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Robert Craig Brown was professor of history emeritus at the University of Toronto, where he taught from 1966 until his retirement in 1998.

Reviews

[Andrew Hawkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Canada 1896-1921: A Nation Transformed by Robert Craig Brown and Ramsay Cook is the installation of the Canadian Centenary Series that deals with the transformative and turbulent first two decades of the 20th century. Overall, it is a very well-written and well-organized narrative of some pivotal years in Canadian history. By writing clearly and efficiently, Brown and Cook succinctly cover many important and convoluted events and topics. Political debates about French-English school systems, Canada's contribution (or lack thereof) to the Imperial Navy, and the electorate's swings between reciprocity and the tariff are all well explained in terms familiar to any student of Canadian history. Although this book is not as accessible as some historical works written in the 21st century, it does an outstanding job of simplifying complex topics. For any student who has read later works that reference in passing, the tariff, Regulation 17, a tin-pot navy, or reciprocity, but has never understood these issues in any depth, this is the book for you. Organizationally, this book just makes a lot of sense. The book is bookended (ha ha) by two Liberal victories in a General Election (in 1896 and 1921), albeit in very different circumstances, and the overall flow of the narrative is clear. Although at times, the chronology is somewhat chaotic in an attempt to have thematically delineated chapters, I was never lost with the direction of the writing. Ultimately, this is a great book to read in order to equip yourself with a basic understanding of what happened in Canada between 1896 and 1921 and the major thematic developments throughout the country.

In particular, I enjoyed how Brown and Cook integrated the war into the context of the decade and a half that preceded it. On this topic, Brown and Cook are particularly even handed. The war was not necessarily a complete break from the past, nor was it a continuation of business as normal. It heightened some areas of political tension, and suppressed others. It spurred along Canada's development as a nation independent of the mother country, while simultaneously revealing the deep ties that much of the country still held to her. Brown and Cook did not espouse the colony-to-nation view of the war, as evidenced by the section of the book dealing with Borden's failures overseas to acquire greater colonial representation, but they did not deny the fact that the war further advanced the public belief that Canada must have a greater say in its foreign affairs. This nuanced argument was further grounded in the historical context of pre-war negotiations about the Alaska boundary affair, Atlantic fishing rights, and trade agreements. Brown and Cook's treatment of the war is simply a microcosm of the rest of the book: it is even-handed, grounded in historical context, and chock full of details that support the author's overarching arguments.

As wonderful as this book is, I would be remiss if I didn't address some of its shortcomings. Nearly all of these are not emblematic of the particular authors, but they do reflect a certain approach to history that has its drawbacks. Indigenous people are virtually absent from the book, as are racialized Canadians (although Brown and Cook deal more with the latter, given their centrality to the settling of the West in the eyes of the authors). Women take a center stage in the narrative, particularly in chapters about the Social Gospel movement, prohibition, and suffragists, but they are also notably absent from much of the book as a whole. All of this is to say, that while this book is excellent for developing a base understanding of the years 1896-1921, it is by no means the last book you should read on the subject matter. Brown and Cook deal with political, economic, military, and labour issues at length, but from a particular time and place that carries with it its own inherent shortcomings and blind spots. Part of the reason for the shortcomings is due to the time in which the book was written, but the other is due to the aim of the book. It is a historical survey about a very broad geographic space and time period. It sacrifices details and thorough examination in favour of readability and space constraints, as any book on a large enough topic must. Further reading on the subject is necessary, although this is a great place to start!