▁a ▁keen ▁interest ▁in ▁wh aling , ▁se aling , ▁sheep ▁raising , ▁min ing ▁and ▁other ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁trade . ▁In ▁the ▁long ▁run , ▁he ▁says , ▁commerce ▁was ▁the ▁main ▁stim ulus ▁for ▁colon ization . ▁ ▁Canada ▁▁ ▁Canadian ▁historian ▁Carl ▁Ber ger ▁arg ues ▁that ▁an ▁influ ential ▁section ▁of ▁English ▁Canad ians ▁emb rac ed ▁an ▁ide ology ▁of ▁imperial ism ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁to ▁enh ance ▁Canada ' s ▁own ▁power ▁position ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁system , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁for ▁more ▁traditional ▁reasons ▁of ▁Ang lo ph ill ia . ▁ ▁Ber ger ▁identified ▁Canadian ▁imperial ism ▁as ▁a ▁distinct ▁ide ology , ▁rival ▁to ▁anti - imper ial ▁Canadian ▁national ism ▁or ▁pro - American ▁contin ental ism , ▁the ▁other ▁national isms ▁in ▁Canada . ▁ ▁For ▁the ▁French ▁Canad ians , ▁the ▁chief ▁debate ▁among ▁histor ians ▁involves ▁the ▁con quest ▁and ▁the ▁incorpor ation ▁into ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 3 . ▁One ▁school ▁says ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁dis aster ▁that ▁ret arded ▁for ▁a ▁century ▁and ▁more ▁the ▁normal ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁middle ▁class ▁society , ▁leaving ▁Quebec ▁locked ▁into ▁a ▁traditional ism ▁controlled ▁by ▁pri ests ▁and ▁land l ords . ▁The ▁other ▁more ▁optim istic ▁school ▁says ▁it ▁was ▁generally ▁advantage ous ▁in ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁terms . ▁For ▁example , ▁it ▁enabled ▁Quebec ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁French ▁Revolution ▁that ▁t ore ▁France ▁apart ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 9 0 s . ▁