This Short History of British Columbia is designed to provide the average reader with a quick but accurate survey of the broad outline of British Columbia's development. The emphasis in this book is on the political developments that shaped the province as it is today, subjects such as the meeting between First Nations and Europeans, immigration and settlement, economic activities like the fur trade, fishing and mining, and the attainment of provincial status. It explains the reasons for the boom that preceded the First World War and the depression that followed, including such issues as prohibition and women's suffrage. The Depression, Social Credit, resource development, and more modern developments complete the account.