The British Garrison and Montreal Society, 1830-1850

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
The British Garrison and Montreal Society, 1830-1850
Abstract
The author examines the influence of the British Army garrison on Montreal society from 1830 to 1850. He notes that the garrison served as a tangible symbol of that link to Empire. The author remarks that the leisure activities of the garrison soldiers, particularly the officers who were generally “well-born,” well-connected, and wealthy, set a standard of social behaviour for the well-to-do English-speaking citizens of Montreal who sought to emulate imperial society in colonial Montreal. The author explains that the social legacy of the garrison was the establishment of a tradition of theatre, music, sporting events and socializing along British lines that long survived the withdrawal of the garrison. However, he argues, the garrison also served to reinforce a colonial mind-set and to inhibit the development of indigenous institutions within Montreal society. It would not be until the garrison withdrew from Montreal in 1869 and 1870 that most music, theatre and sporting organizations in the city became truly Canadian.
Publication
Canadian Military History
Volume
Vol. 21
Issue
no. 1
Pages
3-16
Date
Autumn 2012
Language
en
URL
Citation
Vineberg, Robert. “The British Garrison and Montreal Society, 1830-1850.” Canadian Military History Vol. 21, no. 1 (Autumn 2012): 3–16. https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1643&context=cmh.
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