Henri-Raymond Casgrain, historien

Résumé

Résumé

Littérateur d'abord et avant tout, l'abbé Henri-Raymond Casgrain commence sa carrière d'historien en adoptant le point de vue providentialiste sur l'histoire du Canada. Mais le désir de réfuter les publications successives de l'historien américain Francis Parkman l'amène à réviser sa méthode. Au lieu de se contenter de dénégations sans réserves, comme plusieurs de ses compatriotes, il apprend à considérer les arguments de son adversaire et à ne le réfuter que sur la foi des documents. Toutefois, malgré des progrès significatifs, surtout dans ses dernières oeuvres, Casgrain ne se départit pas de sa tendance aux propositions générales et aux éloges gratuits.

Abstract

Abstract

 literary man first and foremost, Abbé Casgrain began his career as a historian with a Providentialist view of Canadian history. However, his desire to refute the successive publications of the American historian Francis Parkman led him to change his methods. Rather than utter blanket denials in the manner of several of his contemporaries, he learned to consider his adversary's arguments and base his refutations solely on documentary evidence. But despite significant progress (especially in his last works), Casgrain never lost his penchant for general propositions and gratuitous encomiums.