Canadian Historical Review

Canadian Historical Review
Title	Canadian Historical Review
Discipline	History
Language	English, French
Abbreviation	Can. Hist. Rev.
Publisher	University of Toronto Press
Country	Canada
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1920–present
Issn	0008-3755

Canadian Historical Review

The Canadian Historical Review is a quarterly peer-reviewed journal focused on Canadian Canada-related historical scholarship, publishing articles, essays, and reviews that address topics from Indigenous-settler relations to transnational connections. It serves as a forum connecting scholars associated with University of Toronto, McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Alberta, Queen's University, and other institutions across Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and the Prairies. The journal regularly engages with research tied to events such as the Confederation of Canada, the War of 1812, the North-West Rebellion, and themes linked to figures like John A. Macdonald, Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, and Wilfrid Laurier.

Overview

The journal publishes research on a wide array of cases including studies of Mi'kmaq, Haida, Cree, Mohawk, and Ojibwe communities, investigations of settler societies in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, and analyses of migration involving United Kingdom, Ireland, United States, France, and China. Essays have examined institutions such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Hudson's Bay Company, Canadian Pacific Railway, Bank of Montreal, and Canadian National Railway and events like the October Crisis, the Winnipeg General Strike, and Conscription Crisis of 1917. The Review also situates Canadian developments within international contexts including the First World War, the Second World War, the Cold War, the League of Nations, and the United Nations.

History and Development

Founded in the wake of debates among historians at University of Toronto and McGill University in the aftermath of World War I, the journal drew early contributions from scholars connected to the Canadian Historical Association, the Benson Society, and the Royal Society of Canada. Editorial leadership over the decades included historians who engaged with topics like Confederation debates, the Red River Rebellion, and constitutional matters tied to the British North America Act. During the mid-20th century the Review published work responding to the Great Depression, the Statute of Westminster 1931, and the rise of figures like William Lyon Mackenzie King. Later eras saw scholarship on multiculturalism under Pierre Trudeau, Indigenous rights after Calder v. British Columbia (1973), and constitutional transformation around the Patriation of the Canadian Constitution.

Editorial Structure and Publication Details

The Review is produced by an editorial board drawn from universities and museums such as the Canadian Museum of History, the Library and Archives Canada, York University, Dalhousie University, Université de Montréal, and the University of Saskatchewan. It follows peer-review procedures similar to journals affiliated with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and publishes in both English and French, reflecting bilingual practices linked to institutions like The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Special issues have been guest-edited on themes such as the Fur Trade, the Canadian Pacific Railway construction, and commemorations of the Statue of Liberty-era migrations. Distribution and printing have been handled by presses including the University of Toronto Press and other academic publishers.

Scope and Content

The Review covers political histories of parties such as the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, the Liberal Party of Canada, the New Democratic Party, and regional movements like Bloc Québécois-related debates. It publishes social histories addressing gender and labor in contexts like the Winnipeg General Strike, Indigenous treaty studies referencing Treaty of Paris (1763), and economic histories tied to the National Policy (Canada), Trans-Canada pipeline debates, and resource developments in Fort McMurray. Cultural history pieces have examined literature connected to authors like Lucy Maud Montgomery, Margaret Atwood, and Gabrielle Roy, while legal-historical essays engage with cases such as R v. Powley and statutes including the Indian Act. The Review also includes book reviews of works from presses like McGill-Queen's University Press, Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, and monographs on figures such as Tecumseh, Emily Carr, Nellie McClung, and Tommy Douglas.

Impact and Reception

Scholars cite the Review alongside journals such as the Journal of Canadian Studies, Acadiensis, Labour/Le Travail, and Histoire sociale / Social History, noting its influence on curricula at institutions like McMaster University, Brock University, and Simon Fraser University. It has shaped historiographical debates on topics including nation-building, the historiography of Indigenous resistance, and reinterpretations of the Fenians and Fenian Raids. Critics and contributors have intersected with public history initiatives at the Canadian War Museum, debates over commemorations at sites like Vimy Ridge Memorial, and policy discussions involving Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada-related scholarship.

Indexing and Accessibility

The journal is indexed in bibliographic services such as JSTOR, Project MUSE, Scopus, Web of Science, and regional indices used by libraries including Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec and Library and Archives Canada. Institutional subscribers include university libraries at University of Ottawa, McGill University Library, University of Victoria, and national repositories, while individual access is mediated through platforms associated with the University of Toronto Press and academic consortia. Digitized back issues have been consulted by researchers studying events like the North Atlantic fisheries dispute, the Klondike Gold Rush, and demographic shifts tied to the Great Migration (Canada).

Category:Academic journals Category:History journals Category:Canadian history