Ohs Bulletin 031 1981 December
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The Ontario Historical Society MSP 2T6 Decembe,’ 1981 78 Dunloe Road, Toronto, Ontario lssue 31 A Message for Pierre Berton, and Others . President’: Remarks, Alec Douglas who want to advance in the profession message. I for one am prepared to admit had intended to write about amateur I must obtain recognition from their that my own treatment of the war and professional historians in this issue. peers, and when historians—like econo- would be less interesting to the average Then along came Pierre Berton’s second mists, political scientists, doctors or reader. It is evidently less interesting to volume on Tbe War of 1812 and three dentists—start writing for other mem- Pierre, for he shows no sign of having Professor Donald sub- reviews of the book. bers of their own profession rather than read anything I ever wrote on the Swainson had reviewed it in Ontario the general public, we recognize that ject! The device of using the present History, Colonel C.P. Stacey had done they create a vacuum. tense, one that often makes the book his review in Saturday Night, and Doug As Charles Stacey points out, for read like a novel, does not offend me as Maclean ’s. Fetherling had written one in instance, there was no urgent need for it has some historians. He does fill a Long ago Pierre Berton staked his another book about the War of 1812. vacuum. The difference between Pierre claim to be a professional historian; I That is to say, there is little to add to Berton and this society, however, is that vividly remember him complaining, ata what we already know about the mili- he does it with less concern for what the Asso- meeting of the Canadian Historical tary and naval operations of a small professionals are trying to do. ciation in the early seventies, that he border war of the early nineteenth cen- Doug Fetherling portrays Berton, was tired of being called an amateur. He tury. He rightly says that Berton’s claim larger than lifesize, as the caricature of a written more about has certainly to be a social historian is eyewash. Yet professional best-selling author. It is a Canada’s than so-called pro- past many it is clear that Canadians today want to delicious picture, one of single-minded fessionals, and has reached a wider audi- know about the War of 1812, and devotion to each word, line, paragraph of them. Whenever he ence than any Berton’s superb reporting style is an and page as they take shape in white-hot publishes a book, professional historians appropriate medium for carrying the heat, rather the way Mrs. Carlyle used take a swipe at him for not meeting their standards. His publishers, and friendly critics outside the profession, then react with indignation, or scorn, or both. It has become a familiar part of the literary scene, and it must be said that in the eyes of most people Pierre comes up smelling of roses every time. But the professionals do not accept him into their ranks. The fact is, we live in an age of spe- cializatjon that affects the historical profession as much as it does any other. That creates a dilemma The Ontario His- torical Society is constantly coming up against, and one which we try to resolve in a variety of ways: for instance our journal, our workshops and meetings, and this Bulletin. To advance historical B. Napier Simpson Memorial Conference: Preservation—A Community Effort, Cambridge, neces- knowledge it is more than ever Co-ordinator and First October 3, 1981. At extreme right: Heather Broadbent, Conference often sary to pursue sophisticated and Vice-President, O.H.S. Next to her is Joanne Smart, a Director of the Ontario Heritage obscure lines of investigation. Scholars Foundation. Photo by Rainer Leipscher, courtesy of Cambridge Daily Reporter. to say Thomas Carlyle wrote The the telling of a good story. “Bringing ters of the time to add colour and life to French Revolution, Sartor Resartus and the past alive” is an excellent thing to do, the events he describes. The maps in other books. Such prolific authors, un- but not at the expense of an accurate both volumes are also models of clarity. like plodding historians, want to get to interpretation of the facts. A major cri- their audiences as fast as their pub- ticism by Charles Stacey, and one which My message to Pierre Berton then, blishers do. The historian often sees the I naturally endorse because of my work and to other widely read authors who publisher as a pirate who will prostitute in the naval documents, is that Berton happily realize the great need, and the the truth to meet deadlines and increase has not given much thought to the naval desire of the public, to remember their sales, and he is often right to believe this. aspects of the war. Then again, as both past, is to keep on writing books about There is, nevertheless, a happy medium. Stacey and Swainson have pointed out, Canadian history by all means. But The fine biographies and histories by it is silly to criticize early nineteenth please, please, listen to scholars who are the late Joseph Schull, or John Gray’s century tories for not being more demo- devoting their lives to a patient recon- excellent account of Lord Selkirk, are, I cratic. Had Berton taken the time to im- struction of the past as it actually was. believe, models of such compromise. I merse himself in the literature of the And to those scholars, who probably are believe that Berton, too, could achieve a period, and the leading recent historical as jealous as I am of Berton’s writing satisfactory accommodation between his studies, it is hardly likely that a man of talents, please do not simply ignore his publishing objectives and the service of his proven acuity would not have picked books or those of other authors who do the public. up on such matters. Indeed, I was im- not always pay much attention to the Understand that what is in question pressed in his first volume to note that results of your scholarship. Rather, take is not the accuracy of Berton’s facts, Berton had read and accepted the results advantage of the situation. It seems to not, although I am not quite so confi- of a recent Ph.D. dissertation on me that Pierre has now given us the dent about this, his motives; it is simply Tecumseh. And no one can fail to res- chance to claim that a new study of the the subordination of all his evidence to spect his skillful use of diaries and let- War of 1812 is actually necessary! Executive Assistant’s Report Sandra Morton loped over From September 13-18, the President, two centuries ago by such Colonial Williamsburg prides itself on patriots as George Washington, Alec Douglas, and I were most fortunate early an active living history programme. The in that we had the opportunity to attend Thomas Jefferson, George Mason and active practice of 36 colonial crafts and the 41st Annual Conference of the Peyton Randolph. trades, ranging from apothecary to wig- American Association for State and The city’s restoration began in 1926 making, is a major part of this activity. held in Colonial when I). Rockefeller, inspired Local History, Williams- John ]r., Exhibitions come to life with the inter- ex- burg, Virginia. The conference was by the vision of the Reverend W.A.T. esting and informative presentations with an exciting Goodwin, sought to return Williamsburg tremely well organized, offered by a large interpretive staff. Pro- mixture of relevant sessions and tours of to the days of its greatest glory. A non- fessional actors representing 18th cen- Colonial Williamsburg and the neigh- profit educational institution, known tury characters present street enacunents bouring historic sites. The only problem today as the Colonial Williamsburg and period plays to provide insights into Foundation, was established to preserve I constantly experienced was being torn 18th century attitudes, problems and between the desire to attend the sessions and interpret what has become an incre- opinions. Inside the buildings, an out- on the one hand, and a strong interest dibly exceptional restoration site. standing collection of early American in the planned tours run concurrently, furnishings aid in teaching the social, on the other. Whichever I attended, I Today, more than fifty years after cultural, and political history of the was always concerned about what I was the restoration began, Colonial Williams- times. us missing. burg appears largely as it did in the 18th The conference itself provided to meet In Colonial Williamsburg, one senses century, when it was an important city with the exciting opportunity the full span of the social, economic, and commercial centre. Restored Wil- staff members and executive chairmen to ex- and political life of the capital of colo- liamsburg is a dramatic reminder of of American historical societies, nial Virginia. For 81 years, from 1699 America's birth and one of the principal change ideas and to compare problems government to 1780, Williamsburg was the political, sources of its democratic institutions. regarding funding, facilities, cultural, and educational centre of what The physical character of the restored cutbacks, and the like. 722 delegates from all re- was then the largest, most populous, city is most impressive. attended this Conference, and, in many respects, the most influ- All of the major public buildings of gions of the United States and Canada. and con- ential of the American colonies. It was the original city still exist or have been The professional development here that the fundamental concepts of recreated.