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Paul Sharp's Whoop-Up Country describes life in Canada and the United States in a particular area known as Whoop-Up country. This area includes most of Montana as well as southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Sharp examines the differences north and south of the forty-ninth parallel looking at the similarities in the plains environment and the differences wrought by separate governments. One main difference was in the treatment of Native Americans. The Canadian government tried to treat white and red fairly and created the Canadian Mounted Police to bring justice to the wild and untamed West. The Canadian government tried to do what was right even if they didn't always see the consequences of reservation life and other such changes on the Native Americans. The Canadians were swift to point out unfair treatment of Sitting Bull and other American mistreatments of her natives. Both countries had to deal with similar environments such as lack of communication and difficulty traveling. There were many who were able to prosper financially because of gold mining or gold miners, and many who prospered only to go bankrupt when the railroads came through. The railroads signified better transportation and communication, but brought a significant change of life that not everyone could adjust to immediately.
I think this text clearly told the story of the West in America and Canada. I did not know a lot about Canada, or its West, before I read this book. It shows aspects that were similar based on environment and lack of major commercial centers as well as differences across the border because of administration. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in western history as well as Canadian history.