A Concise History of Canada

Margaret Conrad's history of Canada explains what makes up this diverse, complex, and often contested nation-state. Beginning in Canada's deep past with the arrival of its Indigenous peoples, she traces its history through the conquest by Europeans, the American Revolutionary War, and Confederation in the nineteenth century to its prosperous present. This impressive second edition has expanded by 20 percent, including revised chapters and an insightful analysis of the fraught relationship between Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump. As a social historian, Conrad emphasizes the relationships between Indigenous peoples and settlers, French and English, Catholic and Protestant, men and women, rich and poor. It is this grounded approach that drives the narrative and makes for compelling reading. Despite its successes and its popularity as a destination for immigrants from across the world, Canada remains a cautious and contested country. This thorough yet concise new edition explains why.

Margaret Conrad has published widely in the fields of Canadian history, women's studies, and digital humanities. She is co-author of a two-volume History of the Canadians Peoples, Atlantic Canada: A History and Canadians and Their Pasts. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and served as president of the Canadian Historical Association from 2005 to 2007. She has received four honorary degrees.