Abstract
In 1837, a small group of rebels proclaimed the short-lived Republic of Canada. Between then and the Act of Confederation of 1867, colonial Canadians tried to imagine the future of their communities in North America. The choice between monarchy and republicanism shaped both colonial self-images and images of the United States; it also drove the political deliberations that eventually united the colonies of British North America into a self-governing Dominion under the British Crown. Between Empire and Republic is a thematic exploration of the political discourse embedded in the literary output of the period. Colonial authors Susanna Moodie, Th. Ch. Haliburton, and John Richardson enjoyed transatlantic popularity and explained colonial realities to their British, Canadian, and American readership. Collectively, their writings serve as the lens into colonial Canadian perceptions of American and British political ideas and institutions. Between Empire and Republic discusses North America as a literary contact zone where British principles of constitutional monarchy competed with American ideas of republicanism and democratic self-government. The author argues that political ideas in pre-Confederation Canada filtered into the literary works of the time, creating two settler-colonial communities whose recognizable cultural characteristics echoed public attitudes towards the political projects underpinning them.
Schlagworte
Republicanism in literature Settler colonialism democracy in literature John Richardson Nineteenth-century North America Susanna Moodie Thomas Ch. Haliburton- Kapitel Ausklappen | EinklappenSeiten
- 1–26 Freedom 1–26
- 27–50 Law 27–50
- 51–76 Religion 51–76
- 77–100 Equality 77–100
- 101–128 Whiteness 101–128
- 129–136 Conclusion 129–136
- 137–140 Appendix 137–140
- 141–150 Bibliography 141–150
- 151–156 Index 151–156
- 157–158 About the Author 157–158