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History General

This Great National Object

Building the Nineteenth-Century Welland Canals

by (author) Roberta M. Styran & Robert Taylor

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Mar 2012
Category
General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9780773538931
    Publish Date
    Mar 2012
    List Price
    $50.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773586901
    Publish Date
    Mar 2012
    List Price
    $44.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

Making extensive use of the National Archives and the Archives of Ontario, Styran and Taylor unveil previously unpublished information about the construction of the canals, including technical plans and drawings from a wide variety of sources. They illustrate the technical and management intricacies of building a navigational trade and commerce lifeline while also revealing the vivid characters - from businessman William Hamilton Merritt to engineer John Page - who inspired the project and drove it to completion.

The history of the Welland Canals is a gripping tale of epic proportions. Given the ongoing importance of the Great Lakes in the North American economy, interest in the St. Lawrence Seaway - of which the Welland is "the Great Swivel Link" - and the relevance of labour history, This Great National Object will be of interest to enthusiasts and historians alike.

About the authors

Roberta M. Styran (1927-2015) was assistant professor of history at Brock University.Robert R. Taylor is professor emeritus of history at Brock University.

Roberta M. Styran's profile page

Robert Taylor's profile page

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