Canada under British Rule 1760-1900

by John George Bourinot

The most important accounts of the U.E. Loyalists of the American
Revolution by writers in the United States are:—L. Sabine's Loyalists
(Boston, 1864), and Tyler's Literary History of the American
Revolution (New York, 1897). Canadian accounts are to be found in
Egerton Ryerson's Loyalists of America (Toronto, 1880)—remarkably
prosaic—and Canniff's History of Upper Canada (Toronto, 1872).
Consult also articles of J.G. Bourinot in the Quarterly Review for
October, 1898, and the Canadian Magazine for April, 1898, in which
names of prominent Canadian descendants of Loyalists are given.

Kingsford's History, vol. VIII, has the best Canadian account of the
War of 1812-15. The most impartial American record of its causes and
progress is Henry Adams's History of the United States of America (New
York, 1860), vols VI and VII.

Garneau's History gives the most favourable estimate of Papineau and his party, who brought about the Rebellion in Lower Canada. Kingsford (vols. IX and X) writes impartially on the risings in the two Canadas.

Other works to be consulted are:—Lord Durham's Report on the Affairs of British North America (London, 1839); Life of W. Lyon Mackenzie, by Charles Lindsey, his son-in-law (Toronto, 1863); The Upper Canadian Rebellion, by J. Charles Dent (Toronto, 1885). The Speeches and Letters of the Hon. Joseph Howe (Boston, 1858) contain the ablest expositions of the principles of responsible government by its greatest advocate in British North America. See also Campbell's History of Prince Edward Island (Charlottetown, 1875). New Brunswick has not a single good history. The Life and Times of Sir Leonard Tilley, by James Hannay (St. John, N.B. 1897), can be read with advantage. See Prof. Ganong's valuable essays on the early history of New Brunswick in "Trans. Roy. Soc. Can," New Series, vols. I—v. Rev. Dr. Withrow's History of Canada (Toronto, 1888) has chapters on affairs of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, to date of publication.

For the history of Canada since 1840, consult.—Canada since the Union (1840—1880), by J. Charles Dent (Toronto, 1880—81); Le Canada sous l'Union, by Louis Turcotte (Quebec, 1871); Memoirs of the Right Hon. Sir John A. Macdonald, by Joseph Pope, his private secretary (London and Ottawa, 1894); Debates on Confederation (Quebec, 1865); Confederation, by Hon. J.H. Gray, M.P., a delegate to the Quebec Conference (Toronto, 1872).

For the constitutional development of Canada, consult.—A Manual, by J.G. Bourinot (Montreal, 1888, and included in latest edition of his Parliamentary Procedure, 1891); How Canada is Governed, by the same (Toronto, 1897—1900); Parliamentary Government in the Colonies, by Alpheus Todd (London, 1894); Documents illustrative of the Canadian Constitution, by W. Houston (Toronto, 1891). Parliamentary Government in Canada, by J.G. Bourinot (Amer. Hist. Association, Washington, 1892, and "Trans. Roy. Soc. Can.," 1892), contains a long list of books relating to the constitutional history of Canada. Also consult How Canada is Governed for works on constitutional, legal, municipal and educational history of the provinces of Canada.

For Manitoba and the North-west Territories the reader may
consult:—Manitoba. Its Infancy, Growth and Present Condition, by Rev.
Prof. Bryce (London, 1882); History of the North-west, by A. Begg
(Toronto, 1894); The Great Company, by Beckles Wilson (Toronto and
London, 1899); Reminiscences of the North-west Rebellions, by Major
Boulton (Toronto, 1886). A remarkable History of the Hudson's Bay
Company, by Rev. Prof. Bryce (London, New York and Toronto, 1900). For
British Columbia:—A. Begg's History (Toronto, 1896).

For the literary progress of Canada, consult:—The Intellectual Development of the Canadian People, by J.G. Bourinot (Toronto, 1881); Canada's Intellectual Strength and Weakness ("Trans. Roy. Soc. Canada," vol. XI, also in separate form, Montreal, 1893), by the same, contains an elaborate list of Canadian literature, French and English, to date. The 17 volumes of the same Transactions contain numerous valuable essays on French Canadian literary progress.

Other valuable books to be consulted are:—Canada and Newfoundland in Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Travel (London, 1897), by Dr. S.E. Dawson, F.R.S.C.; The Statistical Year Book of Canada, a government publication issued annually at Ottawa, and edited by Geo. Johnson, F.S.S.; The Great Dominion (London, 1895), by Dr. G.R. Parkin, C.M.G., LL.D., the eloquent advocate of imperial federation for many years, merits careful reading. Canada and the United States, in Papers of the Amer. Hist Assoc. (Washington, July, 1891), and Canada and the United States: their Past and Present Relations, in the Quarterly Review for April, 1891, both by the present author, have been largely used in the preparation of the last chapter of this book.

With respect to the boundaries of Canada and the English colonies during the days of French dominion, and from 1763 until 1774—i.e. from the Treaty of Paris until the Quebec Act—consult a valuable collection of early French and English maps, given in A Report on the Boundaries of Ontario (Toronto, 1873), by Hon. David Mills, now Minister of Justice in the Laurier government, who was an Ontario commissioner to collect evidence with respect to the western limits of the province. Consult also Prof. Hinsdale's Old North-west (New York, 1888); Epochs of American History, edited by Prof. Hart, of Harvard University (London and Boston, 1893); Remarks on the French Memorials concerning the Limits of Acadia (London, 1756) by T. Jefferys, who gives maps showing clearly French and English claims with respect to Nova Scotia or Acadia "according to its ancient limits" (Treaty of Utrecht). These and other maps are given in that invaluable compilation, Winsor's Narrative and Critical History of America. See also Mitchell's map of British and French possessions in North America, issued by the British Board of Plantations in 1758, and reprinted (in part) in the Debates on the Quebec Act, by Sir H. Cavendish (London, 1839). For text of Treaties of Utrecht (1612), of Paris (1763), of Quebec Act (1774), and other treaties and imperial acts relating to Canada, see Houston's Documents, cited above, p. 329. The maps of Canada and the disputed boundary in Alaska, which I give in this book, are taken from the small maps issued in 1899 by the Department of the Interior at Ottawa.