Synopsis
At the time of its publication in 1930, The Fur Trade in Canada challenged and inspired scholars, historians, and economists. Now, almost seventy years later, Harold Innis's fundamental reinterpretation of Canadian history continues to exert a magnetic influence.
Innis has long been regarded as one of Canada's foremost historians, and in The Fur Trade in Canada he presents several histories in one: social history through the clash between colonial and aboriginal cultures; economic history in the development of the West as a result of Eastern colonial and European needs; and transportation history in the case of the displacement of the canoe by the York boat. Political history appears in Innis's examination of the nature of French-British rivalry and the American Revolution; and business history is represented in his detailed account of the Hudson's Bay and Northwest Companies and the industry that played so vital a role in the expansion of Canada.
In his introduction to this new edition, Arthur J. Ray argues that The Fur Trade in Canada is the most definitive economic history and geography of the country ever produced. Innis's revolutionary conclusion - that Canada was created because of its geography, not in spite of it - is a captivating idea but also an enigmatic proposition in light of the powerful decentralizing forces that threaten the nation today. Ray presents the history of the book and concludes that "Innis's great book remains essential reading for the study of Canada."
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
About the Author
Harold A. Innis (1894-1952) was a Canadian professor of political economy at the University of Toronto and the author of seminal works on media, communication theory and Canadian economic history.
Arthur J. Ray is a professor in the Department of History at the University of British Columbia, and author of Indians in the Fur Trade and I Have Lived Here Since the World Began: An Illustrated History of Canada's Native People.
Review
'A lively pace is maintained from the beginning of the book, and upon reaching Innis's conclusion, the reader finds that a much neglected aspect of Canadian history has been satisfactorily illuminated. For the collectors of Canadiana, researchers in need of background material, or the plain curious, this is an excellent book ... a diverting book, a controversial book, and a stimulating book ... It deserves to be read not just once, but many times and by many people.'
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The Fur Trade in Canada : An Introduction to Canadian Economic History
Published by
University of Toronto Press, 1956
ISBN 10: 0802060013
ISBN 13: 9780802060013
Used
Softcover
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
Condition: Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 922308-6
Stock Image
The Fur Trade in Canada: An Introduction to Canadian Economic History
Published by
University of Toronto Press, Toronto, 1973
ISBN 10: 0802060013
ISBN 13: 9780802060013
Used
Paperback
Seller: Brillig's Books, Kingston, NY, U.S.A.
Seller rating 4 out of 5 stars
Paperback. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: No DJ. Revised Edition. Pp: xx + 463. Titles: frt. & sp. Some pencil underlining. Interior leaves are clean and tight. First printing 1930 . Canadian history and the Fur Trade. Includes 1969 foreword, preface to the revised edition, notes, appendices, references & index. A history of the peltry industry form the early colonial period in the 17th through the 19th century. Of particular interest is the era of the French regime and colonial exploration. Excellent history. Seller Inventory # 002062