Taking to the Streets: Crowds, Politics, and the Urban Experience in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Montreal (Études d’histoire du Québec / Studies on the History of Quebec, 38)

by Dan Horner

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.

353 pages, Hardcover

Published July 23, 2020

Reviews

[Kaédé Hataguchi-Ostiguy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Rhys H · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

An interesting read focusing on the use of public spaces by a variety of peoples living in Montréal in the mid nineteenth century. A bit niche if that doesn't strike your fancy but I liked it.