From Great Wilderness to Seaway Towns : A Comparative History of Cornwall, Ontario, and Massena, New York, 1784-2001

Comprehensive study of two towns on either side of the U.S.-Canadian border. From Great Wilderness To Seaway Towns Adds A New Dimension To The Debate Over The Perceived Differences Between American And Canadian Society. This Case Study Examines Two Communities Separated By The St. Lawrence River: Cornwall, Ontario, And Massena, New York, From The End Of The Revolutionary War To The Present. Moving From The Struggles Of Early Settlers To Industrialization And Beyond, Claire Puccia Parham Chronicles How The Residents Of Both Areas Created Similar Social, Political, And Economic Institutions Because Of Their Peripheral Locations In A Capitalist World System And Their Inherent Congregational And Democratic Values. These Distinctive Views Often Brought Them Into Conflict With National Leaders.--jacket. The Early Settlement Of Cornwall, Ontario And Massena, New York, 1784-1834 -- The Canal Era And The First Manufacturing Boom In Cornwall And Massena, 1834-1900 -- The Era Of Large Corporations In Cornwall And Massena, 1900-1954 -- The St. Lawrence Seaway Project And Its Short-term Social Impact On Cornwall And Massena, 1954-1958 -- The Long-term Economic Impact Of The St. Lawrence Seaway And Power Project On Cornwell And Massena. Claire Puccia Parham. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 159-172) And Index. From Great Wilderness to Seaway Towns adds a new dimension to the debate over the perceived differences between American and Canadian society. This fascinating case study examines two communities separated by the St. Lawrence River: Cornwall, Ontario, and Massena, New York, from the end of the Revolutionary War to the present. Moving from the struggles of early settlers to industrialization and beyond, Claire Puccia Parham chronicles how the residents of both areas created similar social, political, and economic institutions because of their peripheral locations in a capitalist world system and their inherent congregational and democratic values. These distinctive views often brought them into conflict with national leaders.