5. Borders

The border between America and Canada is both physical and psychological. ‘Borders’ looks at the challenges of being a middle power next to an imperial power, described by Pierre Trudeau as a ‘sleeping elephant’. After a short war in 1812, the relationship has been one of cooperation. Crises like the Cold War and 9/11 required a diplomatic approach from Canada. Only rarely—as in the Suez Crisis of 1956—did Canada play a role on the global diplomatic stage. While peacekeeping is important to Canada’s establishment as a world power, some involvement with the USA in war and considerable involvement in trade is seen as vital.

3. Nationalisms

In theory, Canada is one nation. ‘Nationalisms’ shows that the reality is more complex. English Canada, Quebec, and First Nations groups have distinct identities, as does Newfoundland. The First World War divided English Canada and Quebec over conscription, and the Second World War also tested Canada’s national fault lines. The Quiet Revolutions made the 1960s and 1970s a period of excitement, cultural experimentation, and even violence, which was quashed by Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Legally, Quebec is a province but after referendums in the 1980s and 1990s, its struggle for independence was successful in everything but name.