Land, Power, and Economics on the Frontier of Upper Canada (Carleton Library Series, 194)

The prevailing ideology in Ontario at the time was a conservative culture that rejected everything American and attempted to preserve the best of the British world in the new Eden. Those building the state believed that a social and political hierarchy composed of those possessing a "natural virtue" would serve society best. In consequence, a few individuals at the top of the hierarchy, through their access to power, came to control the bulk of the land, the basis of the economy. At the other end of the spectrum from the elite were those transforming the land and themselves through their own labour. How did the physical environment and government land policy affect the pattern of settlement and the choice of land for a viable farm? What was the price of land, and how common was credit? Did the presence of reserved lands hinder or promote development? How extensive was land speculation and how did it operate? Clark brings these issues and more to the forefront, integrating concepts and substantive issues through a problem-oriented approach. Blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, he weaves together surveyors' records, personal and government correspondence, assessment rolls, and land records to measure the pulse of this pre-industrial society. Land, Power, and Economics on the Frontier of Upper Canada examines Ontario's formative years, focusing on Essex County in Ontario from 1788 to 1850. Upper Canadian attitudes to land and society are shown to have been built on contemporary visions of the cosmos. John Clarke examines the actions of individuals from the perspective of the political culture and its manifestations, doing so within the constraints of geography and the cultural baggage of the settlers. Placing human action in the context of economics and laissez-faire capitalism, Clarke shows how almost unbridled acquisitiveness, and its concomitant land speculation, could promote or hinder development.The prevailing ideology in Ontario at the time was a conservative culture that rejected everything American and attempted to preserve the best of the British world in the new Eden. Those building the state believed that a social and political hierarchy composed of those possessing a "natural virtue" would serve society best. In consequence, a few individuals at the top of the hierarchy, through their access to power, came to control the bulk of the land, the basis of the economy. At the other end of the spectrum from the elite were those transforming the land and themselves through their own labour.How did the physical environment and government land policy affect the pattern of settlement and the choice of land for a viable farm? What was the price of land, and how common was credit? Did the presence of reserved lands hinder or promote development? How extensive was land speculation and how did it operate? Clark brings these issues and more to the forefront, integrating concepts and substantive issues through aproblem-oriented approach. Blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, he weaves together surveyors' records, personal and government correspondence, assessment rolls, and land records to measure the pulse of this pre-industrial society. Machine generated contents note: 1 The Land Revealed: The Physical Background / 3 2 Peace, Order, and Good Government: The Organization of a Landscape / 35 3 Acquiring Indian Land in the Era of the Land Boards / 94 4 European Land Acquisition after the First Land Board / 155 5 The Market for Land: Sales in Essex to Mid-century / 208 6 Buying on Credit: The Upper Canadian Dilemma / 264 7 Who Were the Speculators and How Extensive Was Speculation? / 295 8 The Strategies of Speculators / 336 9 Land and Power / 379 10 The Corporate Sector / 424 11 Context and Conclusion / 443 Appendices 1. Essex Soil Quality and Drainage / 469 2.1 Survey Documents / 471 2.2 Documentary Sources for the Reconstruction of the Crown and Clergy Reserves / 474 2.3 Documentary and Map Sources of Patent Data for Essex County, Ontario / 476 2.4 McKee Treaty of 1790 / 477 2.5 Survey Systems of Essex County and Dates of Survey / 479 2.6 Number and Type of Establishment in Each Centre / 480 2.7 List of Speculators with at Least 400 Acres in One Period or Three Parcels of Unknown Acreage or at Least Three Transactions / 481 7.2 Membership in Clusters, Based upon Measures of Similarity of Acreage Owned, Total Number of Transactions, and Length of Time Held / 485 7.3 Essex Biographical Research / 486 8.1 Sheriff's Deeds in Essex County, 1818-52 / 513. "During its formative years from 1788 to 1850, Ontario was a conservative society, rejecting everything American while attempting to preserve the best of British culture. The social and political elite believed they possessed "natural virtue" and the few at the top of the hierarchy came to control the bulk of the land, the basis of the economy. At the other end of the spectrum were many powerless individuals who transformed the land and themselves through their own labour. Blending qualitative and quantitative approaches, John Clarke measures the pulse of Ontario's pre-industrial society."--BOOK JACKET. John Clarke. Series Statement And Numbering From Vendor. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [651]-706) And Index.