The Birth of Western Canada: A History of the Riel Rebellions

Paul D. Dickson is a post-doctoral fellow in military history at the
Department of National Defence.

Originally published in 1936, this classic study of the development of
western Canada through the prism of the Métis and Native rebellions is
once again available.

Stanley has chosen not to alter his work, and as such it has become a
focus of historical examination in its own right. In many ways, however,
it has withstood the test of time. The author’s analysis of the
socioeconomic background of the rebellions continues to make this an
invaluable work. Similarly, his accounts of the rebellions themselves
are so finely crafted that the reader can feel the tension build through
the structure of the discourse.

The newest imprint of the book has been enhanced by an introduction by
Thomas Flanagan, whose own work on Louis Riel was built on the
foundations provided by Stanley. Flanagan’s piece introduces the
reader to subsequent developments in the historiography of the topic,
and claims for Stanley’s work prominence as an important period piece
and historic study.

Despite these disclaimers, the book might offend present-day
sensibilities. Métis and Native customs and society are measured
against British traditions and conceptions of government and society.
One of Stanley’s main themes is thus the inevitable victory of a
“superior” civilization over that of the “savages.” However, our
contemporary propensity for examining each society on its own terms
should not cause us to overlook the merits of this work—or to forget
that in its sympathies for the Métis perspective, it broke new ground.