Lower Canada, 1791-1840: Social Change and Nationalism

Type of resource
Authors/collaborators
Title
Lower Canada, 1791-1840: Social Change and Nationalism
Abstract
The author expands on his thesis, first outlined in his book, Economic and Social History of Quebec, 1760-1850, that Québécois nationalism did not grow solely as a result of the Conquest but was as much a product of the early nineteenth century economic inferiority of middle-class Francophones due to their unwillingness to abandon ancien régime institutions and mentalities. The author shows how economic change, arable land shortage along the St. Lawrence Valley, and British immigration contributed to launch class struggles, to generate political parties, and to nurture nationalism. He also stresses the economic disparities between ethnic groups and the fears of rural Francophone peasants and urban workers who felt threatened by English-speaking immigrants seeking land and jobs. These factors, he argues, contributed to the emergence of a reformist movement in Lower Canada and ultimately to rebellion in 1837.
Place
Toronto, ON
Publisher
McClelland and Stewart
Date
1979
# of Pages
xiv-427p.
Language
en
ISBN
0-7710-6921-9
Citation
Ouellet, Fernand. Lower Canada, 1791-1840: Social Change and Nationalism. Translated by Patricia Claxton. Toronto, ON: McClelland and Stewart, 1979.
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