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Whereas much of Series 1 chronicled the early conflicts that occurred as a result of outside influences (England, France, United States), the four episodes that constitute Series 2 of Canada: A People's History deal with Canada's growing inner turmoil and the movement toward independence. They begin with the burgeoning fur trade and the search for routes to the Pacific in the late 1600s and conclude in the late 1800s when Manitoba, British Columbia and Prince Edward Island become provinces of the newly-formed country. In this 200-year period, Canada experiences the growing pains and struggles of a country trying to assimilate several different "races" (French, English, Native, M tis), religions and geographically diverse regions into one governable body. It is no small challenge, particularly considering the vast amount of territory involved. Series 2 also focuses on the political leaders (and sometimes rebels and revolutionaries) who emerge during this momentous era in Canada's history. Through photographs and rich historical documents, a captivating story unfolds, revealing a remarkable and unrelenting struggle for independence from England that was ultimately achieved with relatively little bloodshed. The pictures also allow the viewer to watch a growing nation emerge and track the progress as cities expand and businesses flourish. These four episodes, in contrast to the first five in Series 1, leave behind (for the most part) the constant skirmishes over territory and deal with new, more personal, conflicts such as immigration, political corruption and further expansion west. The characters that come to the forefront -- from John A. McDonald to Louis Riel to Alexander Mackenzie -- all add to the remarkable drama that characterizes these revolutionary years. In addition to collecting episodes six to nine of this entertaining and educational maxi-series on four DVDs, Series 2 contains a bonus DVD filled with 88 minutes of contemporary documentary footage. There are also Canadian Trivia History quizzes at the end of each episode, so you can test your own knowledge. --Adem Tepedelen
