Class Conflict on the Canals of Upper Canada in the 1840s

Portrays the extreme economic distress of newly arrived Irish immigrants (stereotyped as "Paddy") who worked under harsh conditions for low wages on the canals of Upper Canada, which, in turn, fuelled feuds, ethnic clashes, and crimes against property in the 1840s. Describes the canallers' shanty town support system, their strikes for higher wages, and other forms of resistance related to secret societies, as well as the extensive efforts of the government of the Canadas to suppress the labour unrest. Concludes that state officials and contractors, in blaming "Paddy" for an ungovernable disposition, ignored the historic, aggrieved legacy of Irish class conflict that set the stage for confrontation in the Canadas.