This article chronicles Quebec's social evolution from 1945 to 1965, and provides an overview of the ensuing political transformations between 1965 and 1995, the year in which Quebec's most recent sovereignty referendum was held. It begins by identifying the many pitfalls awaiting such an effort. It then focusses attention on some aspects of the history of French Canadians and the Quebecois, this with a view to making it clear that our history is not a single history, but a double one: that of English Canadians and that of French Canadians, who are now Quebecois. This double history is based on legends, briefly summarized by the author with an emphasis on the interpretation which glorifies the English conquest and the creation of the Confederation by the two founding peoples. The article continues with a discussion of the shift from tradition to modernity, and describes the twists and turns, as well as the consequences, of the Quiet Revolution which led to the transformation of a traditional society into a modern one. It concludes with a few remarks about the mood of the present political situation, a mood informed by the tenacity of legends grounding the eternal double interpretation and double legitimation of the struggle between Canadian unity and the existence of the Quebecois people.