The Borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests: Essays on Regional History of the Forty-ninth Parallel

by Sterling Evans (Editor)

The Borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests is the first collection of interdisciplinary essays bringing together scholars from both sides of the forty-ninth parallel to examine life in a transboundary region. The result is a text that reveals the diversity, difficulties, and fortunes of this increasingly powerful but little-understood part of the North American West. Contributions by historians, geographers, anthropologists, and scholars of criminal justice and environmental studies provide a comprehensive picture of the history of the borderlands region of the western United States and Canada.

 

The Borderlands of the American and Canadian Wests is divided into six Defining the Region, Colonizing the Frontier, Farming and Other Labor Interactions, the Borderlands as a Refuge in the Nineteenth Century, the Borderlands as a Refuge in the Twentieth Century, and Natural Resources and Conservation along the Border. Topics include the borderlands’ environment; its aboriginal and gender history; frontier interactions and comparisons; agricultural and labor relations; tourism; the region as a refuge for Mormons, far-right groups, and Vietnam War resisters; and conservation and natural resources. These areas show how the history and geography of the borderlands region has been transboundary, multidimensional, and unique within North America.

424 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Ronald Kelland]

A pretty decent collection of essays about the Canadian-American order and how it separates and defines both Canadian and American society, although more so defining Canadian than American. It is an interesting way to look at the western Canadian history. SO much of our history is so focused on being either Canadian or American it is almost as if the other does not exist. This collection aims to both acknowledge the border and the impact it has and to ignore the border and look at western Prairie and coastal history as a larger region, not one split by legal, but artificial lines. It is an interesting way to look at history and one that probably should be done more. I think that there should have been more essays or discussion of the indigenous cross-border experience, there are a couple of essays and mentions, but considering how this was their territory prior to our labels and borders being placed on it I think more attention is deserved. A very good introduction to a slightly different way of looking at history.

[David]

Just ok. Way too into the cultural/native American/sociology side than I wanted, but some good history of the life before and after the lines were drawn