Study Questions
- In the first letter in the letterbook Robinson describes himself as "young and inexperienced." Do you get the sense from the letters that Robinson was lacking in confidence?
- What legal issues did the Attorney General have to deal with during the War of 1812?
- Some historians have criticized the ways in which Robinson exercised power throughout his career, arguing that abuses of civil liberties destroyed public confidence in the government and the justice system. Do you see any signs in these letters that Robinson was willing to compromise adherence to the rule of law to achieve political ends?
- To what extent were the civil and military authorities intertwined in Upper Canada during the War of 1812? What impact did the concentration of power have on inhabitants of the colony?
- What do these letters demonstrate about communications in wartime Upper Canada?
