▁it ▁is ▁difficult ▁today ▁to ▁get ▁anyone ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁dem ocracy … ▁Canad ians ▁in ▁particular , ▁taught ▁in ▁school ▁to ▁see ▁their ▁national ▁past ▁as ▁a ▁story ▁domin ated ▁by ▁trans cont inental ▁rail ways ▁and ▁F athers ▁of ▁Confeder ation , ▁have ▁trouble ▁imag ining ▁the ▁struggle ▁for ▁dem ocracy ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁historical ▁theme . ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁dem ocracy , ▁we ▁tend ▁to ▁believe , ▁happened ▁somewhere ▁else ." ▁ ▁Paul ▁Rom ney ▁explains ▁this ▁failure ▁of ▁historical ▁imagination ▁as ▁the ▁outcome ▁of ▁an ▁explicit ▁strategy ▁adopted ▁by ▁reform ers ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁charges ▁of ▁dis loy alty ▁to ▁Britain ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁Reb ell ions ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 7 . ▁In ▁rec ount ing ▁the ▁“ my th s ▁of ▁responsible ▁government ”, ▁Rom ney ▁emphas ized ▁that ▁after ▁the ▁asc end ancy ▁of ▁Lo yal ism ▁as ▁the ▁dominant ▁political ▁ide ology ▁of ▁Upper ▁Canada ▁any ▁demand ▁for ▁dem ocracy ▁or ▁for ▁responsible ▁government ▁became ▁a ▁challenge ▁to ▁colonial ▁so vere ig nt y . ▁The ▁link age ▁of ▁the ▁" f ight ▁for ▁responsible ▁government " ▁with ▁dis loy alty ▁was ▁solid ified ▁by ▁the ▁Reb ell ion ▁of ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁as ▁reform ers ▁took ▁up ▁arms ▁to ▁finally ▁break ▁the ▁" b ane ful ▁dom ination " ▁of ▁the ▁mother ▁country . ▁Str ugg ling ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁charge ▁of ▁sed ition , ▁reform ers ▁later ▁purpose fully ▁obsc ured ▁their ▁true