United Empire

Esteemed Canadian author Peter C. Newman recounts the dramatic journey of the United Empire Loyalists—their exodus from America, their resettlement in the wilds of British North America, and their defense of what would prove to be the social and moral foundation of Canada. In 1776, tensions in the British colonies were reaching a fever pitch. The citizenry was divided between those who wished to establish a new republic and those who remained steadfast in their dedication to the British Empire. As the tensions inevitably boiled over into violence, fault lines were exposed as every person was forced to choose a side. Neighbours turned against each other. Families divided. Borders were redrawn. The conflict was long and bloody, and no side emerged unscathed. But there is one story that is often overlooked in the American Revolutionary canon. When the smoke from the battles had settled, tens of thousands of individuals who had remained loyal to the crown in the conflict found themselves without a home to return to. Destitute, distraught, and ostracized—or downright terrorized—by their former citizens, these Loyalists turned to the only place they had left to go: north. The open land of British North America presented the Loyalists with an opportunity to establish a new community distinct from the new American republic. But the journey to their new homes was far from easy. Beset by dangers at every turn—from starvation to natural disaster to armed conflict—the Loyalists migrated towards the promise of a new future. Their sacrifices set the groundwork for a country that would be completely unlike any other. Neither fully American nor truly British, the Loyalists established a worldview entirely of their own making, one that valued steady, peaceful, and pragmatic change over radical revolution. The Loyalists toiled tirelessly to make their dream a reality. And as the War of 1812 dawned, they proved they were willing to defend it with their very lives. In Hostages to Fortune, Peter C. Newman recounts the expulsion and migration of these brave Loyalists. In his inimitable style, Newman shines a light on the people, places, and events that set the stage for modern Canada.

Foreign policies and diplomatic missions, combined with military action, were the driving forces behind the growth of the early United States. In an era when the Old and New Worlds were subject to British, French, and Spanish imperial ambitions, the new republic had limited diplomatic presence and minimal public credit. It was vulnerable to hostile forces in every direction. The United States could not have survived, grown, or flourished without the adoption of prescient foreign policies, or without skillful diplomatic operations. An Independent Empire shows how foreign policy and diplomacy constitute a truly national story, necessary for understanding the history of the United States. In this lively and well-written book, episodes in American history—such as the writing and ratification of the Constitution, Henry Clay’s advocacy of an American System, Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain, and the visionary but absurd Congress of Panama—are recast as elemental aspects of United States foreign and security policy. An Independent Empire tells the stories of the people who defined the early history of America’s international relationships. Throughout the book are brief, entertaining vignettes of often-overlooked intellectuals, spies, diplomats, and statesmen whose actions and decisions shaped the first fifty years of the United States. More than a dozen bespoke maps illustrate that the growth of the early United States was as much a geographical as a political or military phenomenon.

Ontario was known as "Upper Canada" from 1791 to 1841.

Roasting Chestnuts: The Mythology of Maritime Political Culture is a book about outdated political stereotypes. The Maritime provinces of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia are often regarded as pre-modern hinterland in which corrupt practices and traditional loyalties continue to predominate. While this depiction of Maritime political life may, at one time, have been largely accurate, this is no longer the case. Employing a variety of indicators, this book argues that a new set of political images is needed to capture Maritime political reality today. What emerges from the analysis is a picture of Maritime politics which no longer differs markedly from that which exists in the rest of Canada. Maritimers no longer exhibit remarkably low levels of political trust and efficacy, nor is there a regional political culture which transcends provincial boundaries. In fact, Maritime political elites have been innovators, providing radical departures from Canadian political norms. A unique and innovative study, Roasting Chestnuts seeks to demystify Maritime politics and expose the flimsy basis for many of the region's lasting political stereotypes.

A sweeping history of the United States through the lens of empire—and an incisive look forward as the nation retreats from the global stage A respected authority on international relations and foreign policy, Victor Bulmer-Thomas offers a grand survey of the United States as an empire. From its territorial expansion after independence, through hegemonic rule following World War II, to the nation’s current imperial retreat, the United States has had an uneasy relationship with the idea of itself as an empire. In this book Bulmer-Thomas offers three definitions of empire—territorial, informal, and institutional—that help to explain the nation’s past and forecast a future in which the United States will cease to play an imperial role. Arguing that the move toward diminished geopolitical dominance reflects the aspirations of most U.S. citizens, he asserts that imperial retreat does not necessarily mean national decline and may ultimately strengthen the nation-state. At this pivotal juncture in American history, Bulmer-Thomas’s uniquely global perspective will be widely read and discussed across a range of fields.

The story focuses on the protagonist, Mwana Mutota, who is a descendant of an ancient bloodline of kings of the Great Stone Empire. The son is in constant conflict with his conscious and subconscious mind since, in his dreams, he finds solace and peace, and this is embodied in the f irst scene, The Castle in the Sky. This is unlike when he awakens and finds life futile and existential, as evidenced by the second scene, Return to the Earth Realm. Dreams therefore present the highest form of existence as one is in their truest form and bound by no rules, sin, or flesh and present the only peace in the protagonists life. Life therefore revolves around the conflict of the internal (the soul that is only free in dreams) and the external (the body that is trapped on earth) that drives the protagonist to the brink of insanity as the plot unfolds. The Great Stone Empire presents an empire that, through colonialism and corruption, is economically and socially depleted to the point of widespread unemployment and poverty. Mwana Mutotaor rather The Son, as he prefers to call himselfon the request of Chaminuka (the guardian spirit of Nubian empires), is crowned king under the wings of the premiere of the empire (the last defiant Nubian leader against the west). The underlying battle of the story is of the sons of light versus the sons of darkness, a story that began from the dawn of time and is still ongoing. This is embodied in Mwana Mutota (the son of light) and his battle with Adam (the son of darkness), the deadly assassin hell-bent on ending Mwanas life. Gladys is Mwana Mutotas love,and yet they have not seen in each other in years. The platonic relationship presents the struggle of pure love in a corrupted world, and the desire to once more be together is Mwanas ultimate hope in life. Gladys is the descendant of the Mojaji queen who, in a past life, was married to the Mutota king; and they were separated through conspiracy and treachery. Gladys Mojaji and Mwana Mutota, therefore, represent mediums of the greatest spirit of the empire, which is Chaminuka, and form part of his trinity and their reuniting in the Earth realm represents a return to a lost virtue in the universe of the highest form, which is love. The last scene is called Return to Eden, as it captures a pure and lost Nubian love as the bodies and souls of the Mutota and Mojaji king and queen once more reunite. A perfect harmony is restored in the universe, and the two souls reunite in the spirit world. They walk hand in hand in the full allure of a spiritual garden full of the beauty of nature, and the two embrace in the earth realm. And the story reaches an end (for now).