History Subject Guide: Canada

Useful links to all aspects of Canadian Studies.

Digital database of The British Colonist newspaper, which reported on 19th and 20th century life in Victoria and British Columbia.

An archived Library & Archives Canada site that tells the story of the formation of the Canadian Confederation in 1867 and its evolution to the present, with maps showing the evolution of political boundaries, and an excellent collection of photographs and primary documents.

Online access to the full text of The Canadian Encyclopedia. In English and French.

This database provides access to historical material on the people and places of the Isthmus of Chignecto.

This digital archives contains correspondence between government officials in the British Columbia colonies and their counterparts in Great Britain.

Developed at Mount Allison for the Canadian SchoolNet Digital Collections, this site "presents the role Canadian soldiers played in the wars of 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, as shown through personal memoirs, photography, art work by Canadian war artists and the documented exploits of Canadian George Cross and Victoria Cross recipients. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission's work, honouring the memory of Canadian soldiers who died in these wars, is shown through a sampling of the major war memorials dedicated to Canadians and cemeteries in which Canadians are buried around the world."

Roughly 30,000 searchable pages from the diaries of Canada's longest-serving Prime Minister. Also see the archived site "A Real Companion and Friend" for extensive documentation of King's life and career, as well as many illustrations.

Online Version of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography/Dictionnaire biographique du Canada (DCB/DBC), Includes approximately 8,500 biographies describing "the lives of those whose deaths or whose last-known activities occurred in the years 1000 to 1930. Also included are entries on voyagers whose verifiable dates precede 1000 [...] and more than 70 biographies of individuals who died after 1930."

Searchable full-text documents on Canadian history from the first European contact to the late 19th century.

"Conceived in partnership with France's national library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, France in America /France en Amérique is a bilingual digital library made available by the Library of Congress. It explores the history of the French presence in North America from the first decades of the 16th century to the end of the 19th century."

An archived Library & Archives Canada site with nicely organized information about Canada's major historic military campaigns.

An extensive site developed by Canadian historian and author Merna Forster.

See Databases & Resources for useful links.

The Jesuit Relations document the activities of Jesuit missionaries in New France between 1632 and 1672. This link leads to English translations by historian Reuben Gold Thwaites at Library and Archives Canada.

Library & Archives Canada archived site that explores the social and political history of Canada's early Chinese communities. Contains links to historical government records including head tax records (General Registers of Chinese Immigration).

"This nationwide bilingual project will create a record of Canada’s participation in the Second World War and Korean War as seen through the eyes of thousands of veterans."

A site established to mark the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the French in North America, containing images, thousands of documents (scanned from archives in Canada and France) and maps, all arranged in categories such as departure, navigation, daily life, administration, trade, warfare, survival.

Several databases including the Mi'kmaq Holdings Resource Guide, the Halifax Explosion Remembrance Book, Halifax Explosion 1917 Online Resources, Death Registers, City of Halifax, 1890-1908, Eastern Eye: A Nova Scotia Filmography, 1899-1973, McAlpine’s Nova Scotia Directory, 1907-08.

A sample of stories, arranged by topics such as Arts, Politics, etc. printed in Saskatchewan newspapers from 1883 to present.

The Winnipeg Tribune, one of western Canada's oldest newspapers, ran from 1890 to 1980. The Tribune was a rival to the Winnipeg Free Press. While it had excellent coverage of local events and personalities, it also reported on national and international news.