The Irish in Ontario: A Study in Rural History (Carleton Library Series) [Paperback]

Donald Harman Akenson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2009 | Series: Carleton Library Series

For most of the nineteenth century, the Irish formed the largest non-French ethnic group in central Canada and their presence was particularly significant in Ontario. This study presents a general discussion of the Irish in Ontario during the nineteenth century and a close analysis of the process of settlement and adaptation by the Irish in Leeds and Lansdowne township. Akenson argues that, despite the popular conception of the Irish as a city people, those who settled in Ontario were primarily rural and small-town dwellers. Though it is often claimed that the experience of the Irish in their homeland precluded their successful settlement on the frontier in North America, Akenson's research proves that the Irish migrants to Ontario not only chose to live chiefly in the hinterlands, but that they did so with marked success. Akenson also suggests that by using Ontario as an 'historical laboratory' it is possible to make valid assessments of the real differences between Irish Protestants and Irish Catholics, characteristics which he contends are much more precisely measurable in the neutral environment of central Canada than in the turbulent Irish homeland. While Akenson is careful not to over-generalise his findings, he contends that the case of Ontario seriously calls into question conventional beliefs about the cultural limitations of the Irish Catholics not only in Canada but throughout North America. Donald Harman Akenson is professor of history at Queen's University and the author of numerous books on Irish history, including "If the Irish Ran the World" and the acclaimed "Conor: A Biography of Conor Cruise O'Brien". His most recent book is the groundbreaking "Surpassing Wonder: The Invention of the Bible and the Talmuds".

Editorial Reviews

Review

If the Irish Ran the World deals with an important topic and a little-studied island. It is especially valuable in allowing us a glimpse at a highly unstable world where ethnicity was important but was defined in very fluid ways. Akenson's work is also important in providing much fresh information about a far-flung area of empire. Trevor Burnard, Department of History, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

About the Author

Donald Harman Akenson is Douglas Professor of Canadian and Colonial History, Queen's University, the world's leading scholar on the Irish diaspora, and the author of several major works on the history of Judaism and Christianity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press; 2 Sub edition (September 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0773520295
• ISBN-13: 978-0773520295
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,953,459 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Irish Canadian claptrap., April 17, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Irish in Ontario: A Study in Rural History (Carleton Library Series) (Paperback)

Some interesting studies of individual settlers but essentially its revisionist history with subjective facts only there to back up his argument. Don't waste your money!