Loyalties in conflict : a Canadian borderland in war and rebellion, 1812-1840 / J.I. Little.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 161-173) and index.

War of 1812 -- Militia Prior to the War -- The 'exposed and defenceless situation': The Outbreak of War -- 'Delay, backwardness, and want of zeal': The Conscription Crisis -- 'Making the fur fly': Resisting American Invasion -- 'Like herds of buffalo': The Smuggling and Counterfeiting Frontier -- 'Improper communication': Policing Cross-Border Migration -- Rebellions of 1837-8 -- Postwar Developments -- Political Culture -- 'Incurably cursed with Radicalism': Prelude to Rebellion -- 'I shall die defending my home and family': Rebellion -- 'These dreadful frontiers': Post-Rebellion Conflict -- Appendix A. Volunteer Corps in the Eastern Townships as of 29 December 1837 -- Appendix B. List of Prisoners Confined in the Common Gaol at Sherbrooke Charged with Political Offences, 21 December 1838.

Print version record.

"Despite their strategic location on the American border, the townships of Lower Canada have been largely ignored in studies of the War of 1812 and the Rebellions of 1837-8. Originally settled by Loyalists from New York, and followed by much larger numbers of land seekers from New England, this was a potentially volatile borderland during British-American conflicts. J.I. Little's Loyalties in Conflict examines how the allegiance to British authority of the American-origin population within the borders of Lower Canada was tested by the War of 1812 and the Rebellions of 1837-8." "Little argues that while loyalties were highly localized, American border raids during the war caused a defensive reaction north of the 45th parallel. The resulting sense of distinction from neighbouring Vermont, with its radical religious and political culture, did not prevent a strong regional reform movement from emerging in the Eastern Townships during the 1820s and 1830s. This movement undermines the argument of Quebec's nationalist historians that the political contest in Lower Canada was essentially a French-English one; however, the dual threat of French-Canadian and American nationalism did ensure the border townships' loyalty to the government during the rebellions. The following years would witness the development of an increasingly conservative and distinctly Canadian cultural identity in the region."--Jacket.

English.

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