Interpreting Canada's Past: A Pre-Confederation Reader is the first of two volumes of primary and secondary documents designed to accompany J.M. Bumsted's two-volume text The Peoples of Canada or his single volume text A History of the Canadian Peoples. Each Chapter begins with an introduction that provides the necessary context for the documents that follow, and includes an extensive list of questions for consideration and related readings.
This new edition is substantially revised and includes over 35 new primary and secondary documents. In contrast to the previous edition, the fourth edition provides two in-depth historical interpretations per section rather than a collection of smaller items. This edition also features a great expansion of the visuals provided, including 24 photos, 7 maps, and an entire chapter devoted to visual history.