Bluebloods and Rednecks: Discord and Rebellion in the 1830s

Joseph Leydon teaches geography at the University of Toronto.

Elections in Ontario in the 1830s were marred by violence, intimidation,
and mob rule. The Johnstown district of Eastern Ontario, the focus of
this book, witnessed some of the worst abuses. The author’s claims to
the contrary, this book does not explore the complex cultural, social,
religious, and economic mosaic of Upper Canada in any depth; nor does it
add to the existing literature.

According to Anderson, the political upheaval in Johnstown district was
caused by the Orange Order, which provided the muscle to secure
electoral victory. In his view, Orange Order members were not only
“drunken” “ultra-loyalists” who reveled in “sectarian
violence” but also “poor white trash who needed to succeed and be
accepted.” This stereotypical characterization fails to explain why
the Irish in York district supported Reform while those in Johnstown
supported the Tories; given their economic circumstances, Reform should
have been the logical choice for Irish voters.

The author provides little context for his arguments. The Johnstown
district elections are viewed in isolation, and there is little
commentary on electioneering in the rest of Upper Canada. There are no
maps displaying the concentrations of ethnic, cultural, or religious
groups; of election returns; of the location of polling stations or of
the concentrations of Tory or Reform supporters. Likewise, there is no
analysis of either poll books or the membership of the Orange Order and
other social and political organizations. The text would also have
benefited from consideration of political developments and movements in
Ireland and Britain at this time.