Popular politics and political culture in Upper Canada, 1800-1850 / Carol Wilton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wilton, Carol.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political culture--Ontario--History--19th century.

Political culture.

Political participation--Ontario--History--19th century.

Political participation.

Ontario--Politics and government--19th century.

Ontario.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (336 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Montreal ; Ithaca : McGill-Queen's University Press, c2000.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Wilton demonstrates that by the 1830s the political energies of Upper Canadians were far more likely to be channelled through petitioning movements than election campaigns. Petitioning movements, which were connected not only with public meetings but with demonstrations and parades, were also increasingly associated with political violence. The resulting assaults, riots, and effigy-burnings - prominent features of Tory governance - not only contributed to the striking political polarization of the population but also helped provoke the Rebellion of 1837. Wilton provides new insights into the careers of leading figures, explores the developing ethnic and religious conflicts in the context of the petitioning movements, and illuminates the question of officially sponsored political violence. Through a thorough examination of primary resources, including a wide range of newspapers, Colonial Office records, published records of the Upper Canadian government, pamphlet literature, and private correspondence, Wilton demonstrates how the province's dissidents challenged established patterns of paternalism, subverted official notions of hierarchy, and promoted the development of an expanded public sphere in ways that had a lasting influence on the province's political culture.

Contents:

Front Matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

Early Upper Canadian Petitioners, 1800-1831

The Petitioning Movement of 1831

The Expulsion Crisis and the Oppositionist Response

Pro-Government Popular Politics, 1832

Political Unions and Electoral Organization, 1832-36

Popular Politics and the Rebellion of 1837 in Upper Canada

The Durham Meetings and Popular Politics in Upper Canada

Conclusion

Political Meetings, Spring 1832

Oppositionist Signatures on Petitions, 1831-32

Signatures on Petitions, Government Supporters, 1832

Tory Addresses, 1836

List of Durham Meetings, June - October 1839

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. [291]-303) and index.

ISBN:

1-282-85864-5

9786612858642

0-7735-6845-X

OCLC:

756589783