Nearly thirty years ago W.S. MacNutt published the first general history of the Atlantic provinces before Confederation. An outstanding scholarly achievement, that history inspired much of the enormous growth of research and writing on Atlantic Canada in the succeeding decades. Now a new effort is required, to convey the state of our knowledge in the 1990s. Many of the themes important to today's historians, notably those relating to social class, gender, and ethnicity, have been fully developed only since 1970. Important advances have been made in our understanding of regional economic developments and their implications for social, cultural, and political life. This book is intended to fill the need for an up-to-date overview of emerging regional themes and issues. Each of the sixteen chapters, written by a distinguished scholar, covers a specific chronological period and has been carefully integrated into the whole. The history begins with the evolution of Native cultures and the impact of the arrival of Europeans on those cultures, and continues to the formation of Confederation. The goal has been to provide a synthesis that not only incorporates the most recent scholarship but is accessible to the general reader. The book re-assesses many old themes from a new perspective, and seeks to broaden the focus of regional history to include those groups whom the traditional historiography ignored or marginalized.

The Atlantic Provinces cover New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

The Atlantic region covers the provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

The nine essays in this posthumous volume are linked by a recurring theme - an affirmation of the integrity and viability of the small society and culture in the economic blocs and political federations of the modern world. Alexander maintained that there was an economic base for the provinces of Atlantic Canada in the resources of the region and the genius of its people. In these essays he launched an assault on the beliefs that hindered the develpment of that base while searching for policies necessary to sustain that society. He indicated Canadian trade policies. He stated that neither the date nor the fact of entry into Confederation offered an economic panacea for any of the Atlantic provinces - but that the question of political and economic accmmodation within the larger federation was critical. Alexander's study of the rise and decline of the shipping industry in Atlantic Canada in the nineteenth century revealed a regional industry with resources, capital and entrepreneurial talent to compete successfully in international trade. It also reinforced his belief that subsequent regional disadvantages grew as much from institutional and political factors as from the unimpeded operation of comparative advantage and market forces. The volume pleads for a stronger federalism based on the belief that the survival of the Canadian Confederation depends upon the rebirth of pride and self-respect among Canada's diverse peoples. These essays are part of that heritage and that rebirth.

Using research from both sides of the Atlantic, Stephen Hornsby examines the development of British military cartography in North America during and after the Seven Years War, as well as advancements in military and scientific equipment used in surveying. At the same time, he follows the land speculation of two leading surveyors, Samuel Holland and J.F.W. Des Barres, and the publication history of The Atlantic Neptune. Richly illustrated with images from The Atlantic Neptune and earlier maps, Surveyors of Empire is an insightful account of the relationship between science and imperialism, and the British shaping of the Atlantic world.

Traces how Canada’s colonial and national development contributed to modern environmental problems such as urban sprawl, the collapse of fisheries, and climate change Includes over 200 photographs, maps, figures, and sidebar discussions on key figures, concepts, and cases Offers concise definitions of environmental concepts Ties Canadian history to issues relevant to contemporary society Introduces students to a new, dynamic approach to the past Throughout history most people have associated northern North America with wilderness – with abundant fish and game, snow-capped mountains, and endless forest and prairie. Canada’s contemporary picture gallery, however, contains more disturbing images – deforested mountains, empty fisheries, and melting ice caps. Adopting both a chronological and thematic approach, Laurel MacDowell examines human interactions with the land, and the origins of our current environmental crisis, from first peoples to the Kyoto Protocol. This richly illustrated exploration of the past from an environmental perspective will change the way Canadians and others around the world think about – and look at – Canada.