Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2026 - HIST 101 D100

Canada to Confederation (3)

Class Number: 2778

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 9 – Dec 7, 2026: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

A survey of Canadian history to 1867.

COURSE DETAILS:

What is ‘Canada’? An Indigenous village? A French colony? A hinterland of the British Empire? The land the United States failed to acquire? Did it even exist before 1867? Was ‘Canada’ inevitable? Was it an unnamed infant nation, destined to grow over time into a dominion from “sea to sea”? Or is it a chimera: a messy compromise produced by the violence and disruption of the so-called ages of Enlightenment, Revolution, Capital, and Empire? Why are there treaties with Indigenous nations? Why does Quebec have an Assemblée Nationale (National Assembly)? When does ‘Canada’ even begin?

These questions and many more will guide this course as we study the pre-1867 history of the land now referred to as ‘Canada.’ We will use many lenses to focus our examination. These include Indigenous perspectives, gender, class, race, religion, violence, ecology, and environment. We will examine national narratives of inevitable progress as well as the visions and other ways of life that shape this history. Ancient societies and cultures preceded and continue to exist alongside and within Canada. A central focus of this course will be the complex interaction of peoples, empires, cultures, nations, environments, and ecologies during this period. The land and peoples that we now think of as ‘Canada’ existed within a global context and we will pay special attention to the continental and trans-oceanic dimensions of this history.

Note: the grading breakdown is a placeholder and may change for the finalized syllabus.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

This course will help students to develop their abilities to:

· Research effectively

· Communicate clearly through academic discussion and writing

· Critically analyze primary and secondary sources

· Thoughtfully discuss complex events and ideas like ‘nation’, settler colonialism, and historical narratives.

· Identify connections between events, people, and ideas from different times and places

· Think historically by identifying cause, effect, change, and continuity over time

Grading

  • Participation 10%
  • Weekly In-class Reflection Papers 20%
  • Midterm Reflection Paper 25%
  • End-of-term Reflection Paper 25%
  • Research Paper Proposal 5%
  • Research Paper 15%

Department Undergraduate Notes:

Learn more about studing History at SFU:

History areas of study


Why study History?

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

At SFU, you are expected to act honestly and responsibly in all your academic work. Cheating, plagiarism, or any other form of academic dishonesty harms your own learning, undermines the efforts of your classmates who pursue their studies honestly, and goes against the core values of the university.

To learn more about the academic disciplinary process and relevant academic supports, visit: 


RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION

Students with a faith background who may need accommodations during the term are encouraged to assess their needs as soon as possible and review the Multifaith religious accommodations website. The page outlines ways they begin working toward an accommodation and ensure solutions can be reached in a timely fashion.