Violence, Order, and Unrest ― A History of British North America 1749-1876

This edited collection offers a broad reinterpretation of the origins of Canada. Drawing on cutting-edge research in a number of fields, Violence, Order, and Unrest explores the development of British North America from the mid-eighteenth century through the aftermath of Confederation. The chapters cover an ambitious range of topics, from Indigenous culture to municipal politics, public executions to runaway slave advertisements. Cumulatively, this book examines the diversity of Indigenous and colonial experiences across northern North America and provides fresh perspectives on the crucial roles of violence and unrest in attempts to establish British authority in Indigenous territories.

Drawing on specific case studies of law and state formation in English and French Canada, Violence, Order, and Unrest considers patterns of settler colonialism across the century before Confederation. The result is a collection that brings together innovative research in different fields to reconsider the ideology, governance, and political culture that underpinned British North America.

In the aftermath of Canada 150, Violence, Order, and Unrest offers a timely contribution to current debates over the nature of Canadian culture and history. It demonstrates that we cannot understand Canada today without considering its origins as a colonial project.