Abstracts
Abstract
This article examines the founding myth for the community of Kingston, Ontario which holds that Associated Loyalist Michael Grass founded the city after he led eight companies of refugees from New York to Cataraqui (Kingston) in 1783-84. The legend is a “settler society fiction”, an invented founding narrative that privileges Loyalist history at the expense of other communities including the Indigenous Mississauga. Comparing the legend and documents from Grass’s lifetime, shows that the Indigenous presence at Cataraqui has been effectively eliminated. The legend justifies the dispossession of the local Mississauga, accounts for the sudden presence of White settlers on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and perpetuates a settler society fiction.
Résumé
Dans cet article, nous examinerons le mythe fondateur de la communauté de Kingston, en Ontario, selon lequel le loyaliste Michael Grass (1735-1813) aurait fondé la ville après avoir conduit huit compagnies de réfugiés de New York à Cataraqui (Kingston) en 1783-84. Nous nous appuierons sur des documents d’archives réalisés du vivant de Grass pour montrer que cette légende est une “settler society fiction” inventée comme récit fondateur pour privilégier l’histoire des loyalistes aux dépens d’autres communautés, notamment les peuples autochtones Mississauga et Cataraqui, et pour expliquer la présence soudaine de colons blancs sur la rive nord du lac Ontario.
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Appendices
Biographical note
Avery Esford is a history enthusiast from Kingston, Ontario. He received his B.A. (Honors) and M.A. in History from Queen’s University in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Avery’s interest in the legend of Michael Grass began during his childhood, while growing up in the c.1841 farmhouse built by Grass’s grandson Daniel.