Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal
The 1840s were a period of rapid growth and social conflict in Montreal. The city's public life was marked by a series of labour conflicts and bloody sectarian riots; at the same time, the ways that elites wielded power and ordinary people engaged in the political process were changing, particularly in public space. In Taking to the Streets Dan Horner examines how the urban environment became a vital and contentious political site during the tumultuous period from the end of the 1837-38 rebellions to the burning of Parliament in 1849. Employing a close reading of newspaper and judicial archives, he looks at a broad range of collective crowd experiences, including riots, labour demonstrations, religious processions, and parades. By examining how crowd events were used both to assert claims of political authority and to challenge their legitimacy, Horner charts the development of a contentious democratic political culture in British North America. Taking to the Streets is an important contribution to the political and urban history of pre-Confederation Canada and a timely reminder of how Montrealers from all walks of life have always used the streets to build community and make their voices heard.
1134504146
Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal
The 1840s were a period of rapid growth and social conflict in Montreal. The city's public life was marked by a series of labour conflicts and bloody sectarian riots; at the same time, the ways that elites wielded power and ordinary people engaged in the political process were changing, particularly in public space. In Taking to the Streets Dan Horner examines how the urban environment became a vital and contentious political site during the tumultuous period from the end of the 1837-38 rebellions to the burning of Parliament in 1849. Employing a close reading of newspaper and judicial archives, he looks at a broad range of collective crowd experiences, including riots, labour demonstrations, religious processions, and parades. By examining how crowd events were used both to assert claims of political authority and to challenge their legitimacy, Horner charts the development of a contentious democratic political culture in British North America. Taking to the Streets is an important contribution to the political and urban history of pre-Confederation Canada and a timely reminder of how Montrealers from all walks of life have always used the streets to build community and make their voices heard.
43.95 In Stock
Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal

Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal

by Dan Horner
Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal

Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal

by Dan Horner

Paperback

$43.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    In stock. Ships in 6-10 days.
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

The 1840s were a period of rapid growth and social conflict in Montreal. The city's public life was marked by a series of labour conflicts and bloody sectarian riots; at the same time, the ways that elites wielded power and ordinary people engaged in the political process were changing, particularly in public space. In Taking to the Streets Dan Horner examines how the urban environment became a vital and contentious political site during the tumultuous period from the end of the 1837-38 rebellions to the burning of Parliament in 1849. Employing a close reading of newspaper and judicial archives, he looks at a broad range of collective crowd experiences, including riots, labour demonstrations, religious processions, and parades. By examining how crowd events were used both to assert claims of political authority and to challenge their legitimacy, Horner charts the development of a contentious democratic political culture in British North America. Taking to the Streets is an important contribution to the political and urban history of pre-Confederation Canada and a timely reminder of how Montrealers from all walks of life have always used the streets to build community and make their voices heard.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780228001270
Publisher: McGill-Queens University Press
Publication date: 07/23/2020
Series: Studies on the History of Quebec , #38
Pages: 352
Product dimensions: 6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Dan Horner is associate professor in the Department of Criminology at Toronto Metropolitan University and a member of the Montreal History Group.

Table of Contents

Figures ix

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction: The Crowd as an Historical Actor and a Lived Experience 3

Chapter 1 A City on the Brink: Making Sense of Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal 15

Chapter 2 The Raucous Street Meets the Reformer's Gaze 43

Chapter 3 Custom, Tumult, and Modernity on the Urban Fringe: The Lachine Canal Strike of 1843 81

Chapter 4 "A voluntary power": Making Liberal Politics on the Streets of Montreal 115

Chapter 5 Cacophony and Awe: Popular Piety and Public Order in an Age of Sectarian Conflict 14

Chapter 6 "A picture of awful and thrilling beauty": Rethinking Popular Politics and Authority in the Midst of the Rebellion Losses Crisis of 1849 175

Conclusion: On the Streets and Looking Forward as a Turbulent Decade Draws to a Close 214

Notes 227

Bibliography 281

Index 303

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews