Land, Power, and Economics on the Frontier of Upper Canada

John Van West is a senior policy advisor with the Ontario Ministry of
the Attorney General.

This landmark study examines the relationship between land, economy,
power and society in the development of early Ontario, during the period
1788–1850. In his study, Clarke argues that what was central to the
interests of the privileged classes in Upper Canada was the ownership of
land, or at the very least the ability to control all aspects related to
land acquisition and disposition. Land was indeed central to the
interests of the Upper Canada elite because it both reflected and
sustained their “concepts of order”—their natural and divine right
to manage the affairs of state. Prior to 1825, Upper Canada’s land
policy was one of granting lands, as a return for those who had served
it, commensurate with certain prescriptive rules established by the
elite. After 1825, the policy shifted to land sales, but as Clarke
states, “the privileged could exercise their rights to secure land at
any time when conditions best suited them.” Clarke draws heavily from
his own empirical research on Essex County in Southwestern Ontario to
support his thesis.

The book is by no means an easy read. To his credit, Clarke underpins
his arguments with hard facts, but these facts border on the minutiae.
In order to assist the reader in understanding the complex historical
and geographical storyline, Clarke includes chapter summary
introductions and conclusions, appendixes with additional information,
and a glossary of terms. Unfortunately, many of the illustrations that
he includes are not fully legible. The maps, for example, are far too
small in scale to properly illustrate the information that is shown on
them; this problem should have been corrected at the galley stage.

Despite these shortcomings, Clarke has made a significant contribution
with his authoritatively argued study both to historical geography and
to our understanding of this very rich and large province.