The conditions of colonial politics in Canada between 1760 and 1848 produced features that became permanent landmarks of post-Confederation Canadian politics -- sharp partisan battles, intense use of patronage, strong one-man dominance in party leadership, and a 'statist' orientation not only in government in Ottawa but also in Ontario and Quebec. In this compelling book Gordon Stewart deals with these topics in an original way by placing Canadian politics in a comparative context against the background of political and constitutional developments in England and America between 1688 and the 1820's.

Gordon T. Stewart's profile page

Gordon T. Stewart is a professor in the history department at Michigan State University.

Stewart has written a book that is going to make teachers and students of Canadian history -- ultimately that is all of us -- think about Canada, its government and its politics in new and different ways.

The Vancouver Sun

Stewart has shown that Canadian politics, from the early European settlements to the present day, have been shaped by some very definite ideas, forces and events.  In his concise, very readable, and thoughtful book he has gone some distance toward explaining these forces.  Anyone interested in understanding some of the unique features of the Canadian system would profit from reading this book.

Canadian Book Review Annual

There is always room for a fresh analysis, a new approach to an old problem, especially when it comes from a thoughtful outside observer. This is what Gordon Stewart provides in The Origins of Canadian Politics ... a useful and very readable contribution to Canadian political history.

Queen's Quarterly