It is a Glorious Cause and I Will Die for It - William Alves[Record]

  • Chris Raible

Note

While most histories of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion focus on its leading characters—Mackenzie, Head, Rolph, Lount, and Gibson—this paper looks at one rather ordinary participant. William Alves was a young carpenter who, caught up in the turmoil of the time, eagerly volunteered and, consequently, suffered severely. Pieced together from many fragments—surviving family letters, assorted contemporary newspapers, hundreds of archived government documents, and various historical references, including the inscriptions on two little boxes—his story can here be told.

Researching and writing this paper would not have been possible without the assistance of Alves descendant Helen Alves, the suggestions of two anonymous reviewers, the shared knowledge of colleagues Darryl Withrow, Linda Corupe and Robert Harvey, and the advice, knowledge, and encouragement of John C. Carter.

Appendices