Though he’s a man little before our time (our Canadian history course starts in 1917), Ezekiel Hart would have earned a prominent place in our pantheon of historic figures.

On 11 April 1807, Ezekiel Hart was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada. Hart had won his election handily, over three other candidates, obtaining 59 out of the 116 votes. As the son of a prominent merchant who had supplied the British Army during the American Revolution, Hart possessed all the qualities one would expect of a would-be parliamentarian: wealth, education, and deep roots in the community. In this sense, his win was unremarkable. However, Ezekiel Hart was a Jew.

The Hart family's story in Canada began with Aaron Hart, Ezekiel's father, who arrived with the British forces in 1760. A military purveyor from London, the elder Hart saw opportunity in the newly conquered territory. He established himself in Trois-Rivières, Quebec building a commercial empire that encompassed real estate, banking, and trade. Ezekiel inherited not only his father's business acumen but also his stubborn determination to succeed in a society that viewed Jews with suspicion.

As the election took place on Shabbat, Hart refused to take his oath of allegiance that day, opting instead to await the opening of the session of the legislature in Quebec the following January.

When Hart arrived in Quebec City to take his seat in the Assembly, he encountered immediate resistance. On January 29, 1808 (217 years ago TODAY), Hart, with his head covered, swore his oath of office on a Tanakh, instead of a Christian Bible. The next day the attorney general called to invalidate Hart’s oath as it was not taken in the manner required for sitting in the Assembly, that is "on the true faith of a Christian”.

The ensuing debate revealed the fault lines in colonial society. Hart's supporters argued that British law, which had eliminated religious tests for public office in England, should apply equally in the colonies. His opponents contended that the Quebec Act of 1774 had effectively established a Christian test for office. The Assembly, after heated discussion, voted to expel Hart from his seat.

Undaunted, Hart's constituents returned him to Parliament in a subsequent by-election, demonstrating their continued faith in his abilities. Once again, he was denied his seat. The pattern would repeat itself, becoming a testament to both democratic principle and religious intolerance in early Canadian history.

What came to be known as the "Hart Affair" marked a crucial moment in the development of Canadian democracy. It would take another quarter-century before Jews were formally granted full political rights in Lower Canada, through legislation passed in 1832.

Looking back on this affair today, the irony is palpable. Here was a man whose father had helped secure British rule in North America. This same man was deemed unfit to participate in its governance. Some historians explain these events as the result of the rivalry between the contemporary English and French factions in Lower Canada rather than antisemitism. Some have interpreted this affair as proof of ongoing hostility toward Jews among French Canadians.

Hart’s story illuminates the complex interplay between religious identity and civic rights that would continue to shape Canadian society for generations (and Canadian history courses) to come…

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