Harold A. Innis helped to found the field of Canadian economic history. He is best known for the "staples thesis" which dominated the discourse of Canadian economic history for decades.

This volume collects Innis’ published and unpublished essays on economic history, from 1929 to 1952, thereby charting the development of the arguments and ideas found in his books The Fur Trade in Canada and The Cod Fisheries. These essays capture Innis’ ever evolving views on the practices and uses of economic history as well as Canadian economic history. The new introduction written by prominent historian Matthew Evenden provides a fresh take on Innis life’s work and situates the essays in the context of his scholarship as well as recent studies on Canadian economic history. This volume offers invaluable insight into one of Canada’s most original thinkers and his interpretation of our nation’s history.

Harold A. Innis (1894–1952) was an economic historian at the University of Toronto. He wrote widely on economics, media, and communication theory. His notable works include The Bias of Communication, The Fur Trade in Canada, and The Code Fisheries, all published by University of Toronto Press.

Harold Innis' profile page

Matthew Evenden is a professor in the Department of Geography as well as the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at the University of British Columbia.

Matthew Evenden's profile page

Mary Q. Innis was a university administrator, writer, editor, and wife of Harold Innis. Including numerous books of her own, she was also the editor of new editions of Innis’s works after his death as well as Essays in Canadian Economic History.

Mary Q. Innis' profile page