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Promise of Eden: the Canadian Expansionist Movement and the Idea of the West 1856-1900
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Promise of Eden is a 1980 book by Canadian historian Doug Owram examining the Canadian expansionist movement between the years 1856 and 1900. The book was published by the University of Toronto Press, and was based on work Owram had done for his doctoral disseration at the University of Toronto. Synopsis Owram sets out to study how the idea of the Canadian West evolved in the minds of central Canadians. He traces conceptions of Rupert's Land from a barren wasteland to an area that was ripe for settlement and offered the best, and sometimes only, hope of prosperity and redemption for the Canadian nation. Particular emphasis is given to the Red River Rebellion and its effects on the perception of the West and how indicative it was of burgeoning Western alienation. The book continues by examining the re-evaluation of the suitability of the region for agriculture and settlement. Also noted is the desire of central Canadian expansionists to foster the emergence of a 'British' moral character on the prairies. Owram elaborates on the problematics associated with settling Palliser's Triangle and the work of John Macoun; an individual who's interpretation of the Triangle caused many hardships for future settlers. A concluding section of the book further discusses sources of Western alienation and offers a brief discussion of the historiography of Red River Settlement. See Also
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