With the passage of NAFTA, Canada has suddenly caught the attention of its U.S. neighbors. There has been too little knowledge of this society, which seems so "American," yet stubbornly insists on maintaining its separate and sometimes hostile identity. In this book, Joseph K. Roberts describes for U.S. readers the centuries of transformation that have taken Canada from British colonial status to the high ranks of industrial power. Through the decades, Canada has seen its national development shaped by the dictates of U.S. government and corporate centers. With a clear account of present-day political and economic issues, this text is as timely as it is instructive for students of political science and Canadian and American studies.