Histoire Constitutionnelle du Canada

Documents concernant l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada, 1759-1928, Archives Canadiennes / Archives Publiques, 1911-1935.

Part of the same series, the English volumes, were published under the title: Documents relating to the Constitutional History of Canada, 1758-1828, Public Archives of Canada, 1907-1935.

The French and English volumes were not published simultaneously.  The printing began in 1907 for the first English volume followed in 1911 with the first French volume.  While the formats of the French and English volumes were the same, the contents reflected the language of the original documents sited in the volumes.  The English and French volumes were part of the same collection complementing each other; so that documents originally written in French were only sited in French, and those written in English were only sited in English and not translated into French. In volume II (French), published in 1915, the Introduction explained, “Ce volume continue la collection des documents constitutionnelle publiée par les archives en 1907. ” (p. ix).

The title of the first French volume varied from those that followed with a wording change from ‘concernant’ to ‘relatifs à’.  The French volumes consisted of three volumes published between 1911 and 1935; and included a second and revised edition in 2 parts, published in 1921. Included as part of the “Rapport des Archives Publiques”, some were printed in the Sessional Papers, but each volume was also published separately by Archives Canadiennes / Archives Publiques.  Illustrations were not included in the Sessional Papers printings but were tipped in as fold-out maps in the separately printed volumes. While A.G. Doughty was editor for all of the volumes including the revised edition, different co-editors worked on the various volumes.

Shortt, Adam, et Arthur G. Doughty, choisis et publiés avec des notes, Documents concernant l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada, 1759-1791, Archives Canadiennes, Ottawa : C. H. Parmelee, 1911.

The Introduction to the first volume outlined the intent of the series:

“Le présent volume est le premier d’une courte série qui renfermera les principaux documents relatifs à l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada…” (p. ix).

Doughty, Arthur G., et Duncan A. McArthur, choisis et publiés avec des notes, Documents relatifs l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada, 1791-1818, Archives Publiques, Ottawa : J. de L. Taché, 1915.

Shortt, Adam et Arthur G. Doughty, choisis et publiés avec des notes, Documents relatifs l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada,1759-1791, seconde édition, partie I et II, Archives Publiques, Ottawa : Thomas Mulvey, 1921.

As explained in the “Préface de la Deuxième Édition”:

“A l’égard de la deuxième édition des Documents concernant l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada, 1759-1791, il a été jugé nécessaire de diviser le volume en deux parties.  Cela doit être attribué en partie aux documents supplémentaires qui ont été ajoutés mais surtout au mode amélioré de l’impression.  Bien que l’on ne se soit pas écarté du plan originel, tel qu’indiqué dans l’introduction, il a été jugé opportun d’inclure quelques documents supplémentaires et d’ajouter de nouvelles notes. ” (p. xi).

Doughty, Arthur G., et Norah Story, choisis et publiés avec des notes, Documents relatifs l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada, 1819-1828, Archives Publiques, Ottawa : J.-O. Patenaude, 1935.

In the Introduction the context is explained for this last volume,

“En 1904, les Archives publiques proposèrent de compiler et d’imprimer une série de documents se rapportant à l’histoire constitutionnelle du Canada depuis 1759 à 1867.  Trois volumes traitant des progrès accomplis jusqu’en 1818 firent publiés.  Le présent volume continue la collection de ces documents jusqu’à l’année 1828, période que clôt le rapport du comité du Canada. ” (p. ix).

Print copies held by Queen’s University, by Université de Sherbrooke, and by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Quebec (BAnQ) were reviewed; select images are pictured above.  Digital copies, available for 1911 and 1915 through Internet Archive (archive.org), and for 1921 and 1935 through Canadiana, were reviewed; select images are pictured above.