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Separated by the world’s longest land border and engaging in over three billion dollars in trade daily, Canada and the United States share security concerns, cultural interests, and a history spanning more than 250 years. Alan Rock, former Canadian ambassador to the United States, has said that this special relationship represents “a bond that is beyond practical. It borders on mystical.” The rise of nativist sentiment, however, has raised concerns over preserving this relationship.
History Has Made Us Friends illuminates the nature and dynamics of Canada-US relations, examining their history, attributed meaning, and conceptualization. Contributors consider many angles and perspectives, including the impact of geopolitical change, to determine whether the relationship warrants the moniker “special.” They explore whether shared values and demographic similarities continue to cement the relationship, and if it still matters whether presidents and prime ministers get along.
While things look different today from when President Kennedy declared, “What unites us is far greater than what divides us,” History Has Made Us Friends argues that the Canada-US relationship – often narrowly understood or dismissed as a relic of the past – continues to be unique and resilient.
"The authors draw our attention to the weakening of the view that there is a unique relationship between Canada and the United States, due in large part to changes in the structure of the international system. The book has important implications for Canadian policymakers who are well advised to use all means available – economic, diplomatic, and personal – to hold on to exemptions from US punitive policies, such as a 10 percent global tariff. The argument that the two neighbors enjoy a “special relationship,” however, will be increasingly difficult to maintain, as the edited volume clearly articulates." H-Diplo
"[Abelson and Brooks’s] book moves beyond one era, president, or prime minister and adopts a thematic lens that touches on the border, the Arctic, Quebec, the environment, economic fissures, political leadership, and defence. Each chapter contains nuggets of insight that, taken together, reinforce [their] argument that what has emerged is truly a unique experiment in cooperation between two asymmetric countries." Literary Review of Canada
Donald E. Abelson is academic director of the Wilson College of Leadership and Civic Engagement and professor of political science at McMaster University.
Stephen Brooks is professor of political science at the University of Windsor and adjunct professor at Sciences Po Lille.