"Recruits and comrades" in "a war of ambition": Mennonite immigrants in late 19th century Manitoba newspapers

Abstract

In the 1870s, Manitoba was a province in the midst of transition from an Indigenous and Métis space to an agricultural centre for the Canadian nation. During this transition, the English and French-language newspapers (both Métis and Franco-Manitoban) of Manitoba documented Mennonite immigration, families, and farming practices. This thesis explores the observation accompanying the nation-building project of Mennonite immigration reserves. Through the newspapers, governments and other residents of Manitoba were able to monitor the successes and failings of the Mennonites, telling stories about their arrival and adjustment. The tensions around the re-making of Manitoba into a Canadian province are evident, and debates about immigration were often centred on Mennonites. While Mennonites themselves may or may not have been aware of their role in the colonial project, they were, nevertheless, recruits and participants in the larger national and provincial ambitions for the future success of Manitoba as part of the nation.