UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA Ph.D. THESIS DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA THE RED RIVER RESISTANCE OF 1869-1870: THE MACHIAVELLIAN MOMENT OF THE THE MÉTIS OF MANITOBA DARREN O'TOOLE Summary In October 1869, the fledgling Canadian federation was preparing for the transfer of Rupert’s Land and the Northwestern Territory when the Métis set up a Provisional Government in order to resist what they saw as a unilateral annexation of their homeland. Although there were multiple references made to ‘republicanism’ during the Resistance, no scholar has ever explored whether republican conventions were actually present in political discourse in the District of Assiniboia prior to the Resistance and whether they were effectively activated during the Resistance. Working from the Cambridge School approach of discourse analysis, this thesis first identifies the conventions of democratic rhetorical republicanism, which includes positive and negative liberty, the rule of law, the mixed and balanced constitution and citizenship, which in turn involves virtue, the militia and real property. It then looks at the gradual introduction in Assiniboia of republican discourse from multiple sources, including the United States, Lower Canada, Upper Canada, Ireland, France and Great Britain and its circulation throughout several practical political struggles during the period from 1835 to 1869. In doing so, it shows that certain ‘organic intellectuals’ acted as ‘transmission belts’ of republican conventions and that institutional structures were a factor that rendered the activation of such conventions almost inevitable. By the time the Resistance took place in 1869, a more or less fully developed republican paradigm formed part of the linguistic matrix and was available to political actors in Assiniboia. Finally, the thesis shows that republican discourse was effectively mobilised by identifying fragments of republican conventions that were harnessed in various speech- acts during the Resistance. It is argued that republican language was fundamental to the success of the ideological and political manoeuvres of the leaders of the Resistance as it was particularly effective both as an instrument of anti-colonialism and as a pragmatic ideal of self-government that sought to correct the iniquities of colonial government. © Darren O’Toole, Ottawa, Canada, 2010 ii Acknowledgements I would especially like to thank my thesis supervisor, Professor Dimitri Karmis, who has helped and supported me in countless ways. He has not only guided me through the labyrinth of academic bureaucracy, but has been a friend throughout my doctoral studies. It was also during a seminar with Professor Karmis that I became more acquainted with James Tully, a student of Quentin Skinner, and Paul Romney, who found traces of republican thought in Upper Canada. I would also like to thank Professors Linda Cardinal and Douglas Moggach. It was during the Canadian politics seminar with Professor Cardinal that I first became aware of the question of republicanism in Québec and Canada and that I further explored the writings of John Pocock and Quentin Skinner. It was in the political thought seminar with Professor Moggach, where I had the opportunity to read up on classical republicanism and to become more familiar with the contemporary debate on republicanism, that I first came up with the idea of identifying republican conventions in the political discourse of the Métis during the Resistance. I would like to express my gratitude to Professor Michael Orsini who has been a constant support throughout my studies. A special word of thanks to the members of my thesis defence committee – Professors Georges Sioui, Claude Denis, Douglas Moggach and Peter Jay Smith. I would also like to mention my friend, Jean-Pierre Couture, who has accompanied me on my intellectual journey from the beginning of my undergraduate courses at UQAM in 1994 until my present-day Ph.D. thesis. I am also indebted to him for carrying out the final corrections to my M.A. thesis while I was in Germany. I would also like to acknowledge all those at the School of Political Studies with whom I engaged in theoretical discussions. My father, Robert Richard O’Toole – who was a sort of modern day Métis voyageurs when he worked as a truck-driver – has always supported me in his own stoic way throughout my post-secondary studies. To my mother, Merrily Vera Rodgers, who brought me into this world and who gave me this life that I love so much. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to express my gratitude to ma douce moitié, Dalie Giroux, for the ongoing dialogue that inspires me every day and who has been a faithful commentator ever since she took the trouble to read my M.A. thesis. iii Table of Contents !"##$%&'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''((! $)*+,-./01/#/+2!'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' (((! 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