Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Biography & Autobiography General

The Denison Family of Toronto

1792-1925

by (author) David Gagan

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Dec 1973
Category
General, General, General, General
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781487597368
    Publish Date
    Dec 1973
    List Price
    $15.95

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

The Denisons were an unusual and colourful family. For over a century – from the War of 1812 to the eve of the Depression – they were in the forefront of political, military, social, and intellectual life in Toronto. They took their duties to king and country seriously, serving in public and military office, and established family colonies on their estates in Toronto. As the story of the family unfolds, it reveals the story of Toronto – the spirit of the times, the turbulence of politics, and the exciting growth of a new city.

 

The Denison Family of Toronto focuses on George Denison III (1839-1925), military historian, senior police magistrate, and supporter of the Canada First and Imperial Federation movements. His story proves that Canada has produced some memorable individuals whose activities have for too long been obscured by historians' preoccupation with grander themes. But more than that, the history of the Denisons' quarrel with the United States and their flamboyant nationalism challenges the reader to examine his own assumptions about the Canadian identity.

About the author

David Gagan is a professor emeritus of History at Simon Fraser University.

David Gagan's profile page