THE BOOKS: Conflict
History of the Battle of Toronto…, 1839
The Rebellion of 1837 came to an end with the Battle of Toronto. This account of the battle was written by William Lyon MacKenzie, the main leader of the rebellion. Although forced into exile in the United States immediately following the rebellion, MacKenzie eventually returned to Toronto to become an active politician again. His ideas about reform and responsible government influenced many Ontarians and helped to change the way government in Ontario operates today.
Leonard Youell Diary, 1916-18
This World War I diary covers three years of the ‘Great War’ from the front line trenches of Europe. Written by Lieutenant Leonard L. Youell, it captures the fear, despair and anxiety experienced in war. But it also a personal diary of day-to-day living with themes of friendship, the sharing of holidays and food and being thankful for the simple things in life.
Dieu et Mon Droit. Conversation…entre un Canadien de la Compagnie et un Canadien de la Ville, c. 1810.
In this book, two characters, ‘Town’ and ‘Country’, meet for a conversation about the potential of a war. Town feels that all citizens should bear arms and fight for King and nation. Country is uncertain about the issue and therefore undecided about getting involved. Town thinks that it is Country’s responsibility to participate and sets out to convince Country of this.
And so goes the conversation in this book about the moral and patriotic duty to defend one’s country prior to the outbreak of the War of 1812 - a light-hearted way of presenting serious subject matter.
Activities
The peace that we enjoy today in Ontario did not come without a price. For better or for worse, conflicts have helped to shape Ontario throughout its short history. One, the War of 1812 between the United States and Great Britain, involved Upper Canada as an arena for many battles especially in the borders areas near Niagara, York and Kingston. Another, the Rebellion of 1837, was a series of uprisings stemming from dissatisfaction with the provincial government of the day. Yet another, World War I, was a vast conflict involving Ontarians and other Canadians in battles overseas. All left their mark on the province we know today.
- The documents in this section examine these conflicts from particular points of view. For each document, what is the point of view expressed about the conflict? What message about the conflict does the author want you to take away? Support this with evidence from the document.
- Create a timeline of conflicts that affected Ontario history from 1800 to the end of World War I in 1918. Include a brief description of the conflicts and their connection to Ontario. Use books from your school library as the basis of your research. Ask your school’s Teacher-Librarian to help you get started. The online edition of the Canadian Encyclopedia is another source for this information.
- AS PART OF THE CLASS MAGAZINE: Submit the work produced from questions 1 and 2 above. Use a Conflict Evidence Organizer to present your responses to question 1. Include a paragraph that will introduce the theme of conflict and explain the work that you are submitting.
