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.
Authors
- Bibliography, etc. Note
- Includes bibliographical references (p. [651]-706) and index
- Control Number Identifier
- CaOOCEL
- Dewey Decimal Classification Number
- 333.3/09713/3109034
- Dewey Decimal Edition Number
- 21
- General Note
- Issued as part of the desLibris books collection
- Geographic Area Code
- n-cn-on
- ISBN
- 0773520627 9780773568501
- LCCN
- HD319.O5
- LCCN Item number
- C53 2001eb
- Modifying agency
- CaBNVSL
- Original cataloging agency
- CaBNVSL
- Physical Description | Extent
- 1 electronic text (xxxvii, 747 p.)
- Published in
- Canada
- Publisher or Distributor Number
- CaOOCEL
- Rights
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions
- System Control Number
- (CaBNVSL)gtp00521297 (OCoLC)180773055 (CaOOCEL)400008
- System Details Note
- Mode of access: World Wide Web
- Transcribing agency
- CaBNVSL
Table of Contents
- Land Power and Economics on the Frontier of Upper Canada 3
- Contents 7
- Plates 9
- Figures 11
- Tables 14
- Glossary 19
- Acknowledgments 25
- Preface 31
- The Land Revealed The Physical Background 41
- Peace Order and Good Government The Organization of a Landscape 73
- Acquiring Indian Land in the Era of the Land Boards 132
- European Land Acquisition after the First Land Board 193
- The Market for Land Sales in Essex to Mid-century 246
- Buying on Credit The Upper Canada Dilemma 302
- Who Were the Speculators and How Extensive Was Speculation 333
- The Strategies of Speculators 374
- Land and Power 417
- The Corporate Sector 462
- Context and Conclusion 481
- Notes 557
- Bibliography 689
- Index 745
