A Few Acres of Snow: Documents in Pre-Confederation Canadian History, Third Edition - Softcover

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9781442600294: A Few Acres of Snow: Documents in Pre-Confederation Canadian History, Third Edition

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1442600292 ISBN 13: 9781442600294

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2009

A Few Acres of Snow allows readers to experience early Canadian history in the words of those who first explored, created, and documented the nation. Providing coast-to-coast representation and featuring a diverse range of social groups, the editors offer a refreshing look at the major events leading up to and including Confederation. Throughout, they rely on a careful selection of personal, formal, and legal documents to tell the story, including early travel narratives, literary writings by Susanna Moodie and Catherine Parr Trail, government reports on slavery in Canada, official letters on Irish immigration, and newspaper articles and speeches on the creation of the Dominion of Canada in 1867.

In this trim new edition, each document is introduced with biographical information about the creator. Brand new chapters discuss the Loyalists in Nova Scotia, the War of 1812, and the Beothuk. Also new is a guide to critically reading and engaging with historical documents.

"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

About the Author:

Thomas Thorner is a member of the Department of History at Kwantlen University College.

Thor Frohn-Nielsen teaches in the Department of History at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Review:

This edition builds upon the two previous efforts with several very useful additions. The opening essay on reading primary documents will inspire students to use the critical skills needed to analyze the readings. The new section on the War of 1812 will appeal to the many undergraduates who are fascinated by this war and by military history in general. Another update that is powerful in its subtlety is the use of cursive font for chapter titles, an effective reminder for students that these documents were not originally created in the neat and tidy format readily available in this edited collection. The most important additions, though, are the biographical details of the documents' authors. This vital background will be of great use to students seeking a wider historical context for the primary sources.

(Sharon Jaeger, Wilfrid Laurier University)

The only way that one can properly teach undergraduates the story(ies) of Canada is to expose them to the sources both oral and written. This invaluable volume of documents tells many of these early histories. Thomas Thorner's third edition of A Few Acres of Snow is most welcome for teachers and students of Canadian history alike. The coverage is now extremely thorough, incorporating all time periods, themes, and issues including a judicious blend of political, economic, social, multicultural, immigration, and Indigenous histories. Included are a comprehensive list of further readings and issues for discussion.

(David McNab, York University)

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