Friends of Ireland: early O’Connellism in Lower Canada

摘要: In September 1828, societies of the ‘Friends Ireland’ were founded throughout United States and British North America for purpose raising funds disseminating propaganda in support O’Connellite campaign Catholic emancipation. March 1831, briefly revived to agitate repeal Union. The first Irish diasporic social movement appear Britain’s overseas empire, American Friends Ireland enjoyed greatest French-speaking Lower Canada, where a time sympathetic local patriotes perceived common cause with their new neighbours. This article explores transatlantic reciprocal interactions, cross-ethnic alliances regional distinctions which characterised early O’Connellism Canada. It follows its initial successes virtual collapse 1830s, as an increasingly polarised Canada slid towards rebellion. Comparisons are employed similar agitation elsewhere America, States, Ireland. is argued that instrumentalist explanations nationalism, typically drawn from studies post-famine Irish-America, do not convincingly account appearance form nationalism America.