Although Canada's population would grow massively in the decades to come, it still had a ways to go in terms of numbers coming into the 20th century, with a population of around 5-6 million people.

Merrell's specialization is early American history, especially with Native American relations and history during the colonial era.

A history journal that is published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture. One of the largest scholarly journals in North America, its contents go from the late 1400s to the 19th century.