McGoogan’s literary predecessors, Matthew Shaw’s How the Scots Created Canada (2003) and the afore-mentioned Herman, set the stage for this book. “In tracking the Scottish contribution across three centuries, I tell the story of Canada, showing how, down through the history, a handful of Scots and Scottish Canadians invented one of the world’s most pluralistic countries,” McGoogan explains in his introduction. What McGoogan, the seasoned author of four bestselling books on Arctic exploration, does best in How the Scots Invented Canada is give his readers umpteen examples of exceptional Scots and their accomplishments - then reiterates the connections like a history teacher. Yet, because of the Scots’ largely class-less, egalitarian view of the world compared to their English cousins, the Scots who invented Canada welcomed diversity and multiculturalism. McGoogan immodestly, and accurately, credits Scots blood as the defining element of our fair nation.Ĭanada is often referred to as Scotland’s colony - by Scots and Scots Canadians, of course. Luckily, there are authors such as Ken McGoogan to back up my Scottish chauvinism. Ever since I committed historian Arthur Herman’s 2001 How the Scots Invented the Modern World to memory, I’ve watched the eyes of non-Scots at cocktail parties glaze over, then back away whenever I quote from this groundbreaking book on the Scots diaspora.
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