Shifting Attitudes: Torontonians and Their Response to the Great War

Authors

  • Chelsea V Barranger McMaster University

Keywords:

Toronto, First World War, Enemy Aliens, Xenophobia, Division, Conscription, Prohibition, Religion, Newspapers

Abstract

There exists little historical scholarship on Toronto during the First World War, or the impact of the war on its citizens. An examination of various tensions and oppositional activities in Toronto during the war complicates current interpretations of a 'united front' in the city. While the City of Toronto was 'united' in the sense that the majority of Torontonians supported the war effort in theory, between 1914 and 1918 there were serious debates and disagreements along various dividing lines regarding what support for the war constituted and required. The focus on homogeneity within the literature has resulted in a lack of analysis of the marginalized groups within the city, as well as the divides that existed within the British-Protestant community itself. The story of Toronto during the war is one of perceived unity, but in reality the city was rife with extensive divisions along national, ethnic, gendered, and religious lines. Far from uniting the city, the war brought forth long held tensions and xenophobia to the surface, resulting in violence in the streets of Toronto.

Author Biography

Chelsea V Barranger, McMaster University

Chelsea Barranger is a Ph.D. candidate who studies 20th century Canadian history under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Frager. Her dissertation focuses on the postwar settlement and adaptation of British war brides in Ontario and Quebec. She seeks to include British war brides into a larger discussion of the postwar histories of Canadian immigration and national identity. Chelsea completed her Honours BA at Brescia University College, an affiliate of the University of Western Ontario, and her Masters in History at McMaster University.
The Graduate History Review

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Published

2017-10-05

Issue

Vol. 6 (2017)

Section

Articles

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