‘Ruin and Redemption is a valuable addition to the excellent catalogue of the Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History. It helps historians to better understand the legal structures involved in the regulation of debt and obligation.’- Daniel Simeone (Canadian Historical Review vol 96:02:2015) ‘Law students, professors, and those interested in Canadian history generally can all take away something of value from this book. Telfer’s analysis is easy to follow…. No legal background is required to derive insight from reading this book.’- Sean Tessarolo (Saskatchewan Law Review vol 78:2015) ‘Tom Telfer deserves our congratulations for shining a light on what until now was an obscure and little-known episode in our legal history.’- Roderick J. Wood (Canadian Business Law Journal vol 57:03:2016) ‘Once established in the aftermath of the First World War, federal bankruptcy legislation in Canada has almost certainly become a permanent part of the economic landscape. Telfer’s monumental study is the definitive explanation for how that important sea change came to pass.’- Charles J. Tabb (Law and History Review May 2016) ‘This is an excellent piece of scholarship.’- Andrew Smith (Journal of Legal History vol 37:2016)

• IllustrationsTablesAbbreviationsPrefaceChapter 1: Ideas, Interests, and InstitutionsPART I 1867–1880Chapter 2: The Constitutional and Legislative History 1867-1880Chapter 3: The Rise and Fall of Bankruptcy Law 1867-1880: The Equitable Distribution of AssetsChapter 4: The Repeal of Bankruptcy Law 1867-1880: The DischargeChapter 5: The Role of Institutions 1867-1880PART II 1880–1903Chapter 6: Living With Repeal and the Failure of Federal Reform: 1880-1903Chapter 7: The Constitutional Question and the Impact of Federalism: 1880-1903Chapter 8: The Bankruptcy Law Debates: 1880-1903PART III 1903–1919Chapter 9: Reform Achieved: The Bankruptcy Act of 1919Chapter 10: ConclusionAppendix to Chapter 6Bibliography