Review
"Union is Strength:" W.L. Mackenzie, The Children of Peace, and the Emergence of Joint Stock Democracy in Upper Canada
Labour, Vol.66(66)
01 Oct 2010
Abstract
Canadian political history, namely why Britain appointed Sir Francis Bond Head, a civilian who lacked experience in colonial government, Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada in 1835. Historians have long wondered about the British cabinet's bizarre choice of Head, with some speculating that his appointment was the result of clerical confusion with Francis' more suitable cousin, Edmund Head. Drawing on research by Rainer Baehre, [Albert Schrauwers] suggests that Head was sent to Upper Canada because his prior experience as a Poor Law Commissioner in Kent suited him to governing a province with a growing population of British-born paupers. It is unfortunate that Schrauwers did not follow up this very interesting line of speculation by reinterpreting the relevant Colonial Office files. Schrauwers' book is largely based on secondary and published primary sources. A scholar based in a history department probably would have made somewhat greater use of archival materials. Schrauwers has successfully synthesized several different sub-disciplines of history: social history, political history, and business history. It is rare to find a book in which the footnotes refer to such diverse scholars as Bryan Palmer, Alfred Chandler, and John Ralston Saul. Another positive aspect of this work is its comparative or international element. Schrauwers places Upper Canada in its international context by referring to developments in other countries, such as President Jackson's Bank War in the United States or the 1834 Poor Law. Schrauwers also uses the growing body of literature on the place of "gentlemanly capitalism" in the management of the British Empire. The author, who is an anthropologist rather than a historian, draws extensively on social theory, which strengthens the book. This book will also refine our understanding of Ian McKay's "liberal order framework," a paradigm that some Canadian historians have found useful for understanding this period of history. My impression is that Schrauwers' book will strengthen the hand of those of us who believe that McKay has exaggerated the strength of classical liberalism in nineteenth century Canada. The joint-stock company certainly experienced tremendous growth in British North America. Indeed, one could argue that in the post1867 period, it was the third most important social institution in Canada, after the Christian church and the nuclear family. However, Schrauwers' research suggests that it is a mistake to equate the rise of the joint-stock company with the hegemony of classical liberalism, for some of the companies he discusses were founded by Utopians who disagreed with the hegemonic paradigm in their society.
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Details
- Title
- "Union is Strength:" W.L. Mackenzie, The Children of Peace, and the Emergence of Joint Stock Democracy in Upper Canada
- Creators
- Andrew Smith
- Publication Details
- Labour, Vol.66(66)
- Publisher
- Canadian Committee on Labour History
- Resource Type
- Review
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- English and Philosophy
- Identifiers
- 991021013090104721