Canadian Social History

Imperialism was first and foremost a sentiment and an outlook, at the core of which was a sense of the superiority of British institutions and religion. Imperialists believed that the British peoples had a moral obligation to extend the existing unity of the British Empire in order that it might serve as an agency for peace, liberty, and prosperity.

Imperialism had a profound influence on the process by which full membership in Canadian social and political life was accorded.