The essays in this book seek to unpick the notion of the 'peaceable kingdom' in the light of the violence that permeated Canada between 1837 and 1885 and argue that, far from having little impact on the development of Canada from a colonial state to a continental dominion, violence played a seminal influence in stimulating constitutional development. The British government's response to the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada in 1837 and 1838 was to establish a union of the two provinces in 1841 and rule by a 'responsible' government from 1848 that proved sufficiently resilient in facing down the Tory reactions to the Rebellion Losses legislation. The Fenian invasions in 1866 impacted on the Confederation debates, though to what extent is unclear, but the fear of further Fenian incursions reinforced the argument that domestic security could only be achieved through a closer constitutional federalism. The resistance in Manitoba in 1869 and 1870 reflected the hesitant nature of the new Confederation especially its failure to take account of minority interests while the North-West rebellion in 1885 demonstrated its unwillingness to negotiate for a second time and the growing confidence of its political and military position.
Prologue: A Peaceable Kingdom
1. Populism and Protest
2. Niagara, 1837
3. The Militia and French Canada 1760-1867
4. Defending the Crown
5. Provoking violence: Montreal and Longueuil
6. Patriotes and independence
7. Was Papineau to blame?
8. The Diary of the Rev. Henry Scadding, 1837-1838
9. Murder, Vengeance and Rebellion
10. Russia and rebellion in North America
11. Interpreting the rebellions
12. Canada’s ‘Wars of Religion’
13. The Offending Arch
14. Rebellion, remembering and trauma