A History of Nova Scotia Page


Book #3: TOC
The Road To Being Canada
(1815-1867)

Introduction

My first book on the History of Nova Scotia, The Lion & The Lily, covered the period of time between 1600-1763. It reviewed the early French settlement and the eventual English Takeover. So, too, it covered off the development and ruin of Fortress Louisbourg, the founding of Halifax, and the deportation of the Acadians.

My second book on the History of Nova Scotia, Settlement, Revolution & War, dealt with that period from 1763 through to 1815. It covered the influx of people, a vast part being from the British colonies along the eastern coat of North America, both before the American Revolution and immediately thereafter (Loyalists). It examined events in Nova Scotia during the American Revolution and how Nova Scotia, was, at the turn of the 19th Century. And, finally, the events of The War Of 1812 as it unfolded on the Atlantic coast.

And now I have the privilege of unveiling my third book on the history of Nova Scotia, The Road To Being Canada, 1815 to 1867. Therein we deal with the further settlement of Nova Scotia. We look at the merchants and bankers of who led the way at Halifax in the first half of the 19th century. So, too, is explored the developments in transportation. Coming more to the main theme of this third work we look at the role of the radical press in the political reform that led to responsible government by the middle of the 19th century. We will end this work with the events that brought about the formation of Canada in 1867. Throughout, we will deal with the tastes of 19th century society for fashion, art, and modern conveniences, and how the Modern Times were kindled.

At the dawn of the nineteenth century the first hazy signs of modern times started to appear. And what are modern times? Well, it's the times we presently find ourselves in, a time of affordable soap, underwear, cast iron sewer pipe, indoor plumbing, sewer systems, and water treatment plants; things, contributing to our well being. Now all of this did not just show up over night, it washed up -- to the benefit of great masses of people -- in increasingly greater and greater waves, waves building up at an ever quicking pace. More of the old things, plenty of new things; and all of it put to more constructive purposes because of immense new resources in finance, management, science and technology.

Around 1780 tiny wavelets, started rippling along the beach which we now call The Industrial Revolution. Certainly by 1815 the waves of modernity were of significant size and occurring regularly and systematically; by then there was a real self-sustaining system of industrial growth, growth that fed on itself.

On June 18th, 1815, The Battle of Waterloo brought the 23 year war with Napoleonic France to an end. By August 3rd, Halifax had received the full details of the battle. News of Waterloo was followed up with news of The Congress of Vienna which addressed the postwar difficulties and laid the groundwork for new power structures in Europe. It was a successful meeting of world leaders. The Congress of Vienna was the first modern peace conference, it brought Europe forty years of Peace during which English prestige emerged triumphantly from the long Napoleonic wars; a prestige that was at its zenith between the years 1815-30; "its enormous and growing empire; unchallenged maritime supremacy; industrial and commercial paramountcy; the world's strongest currency; ... the paradigm of a successful nation, based on a superior constitution."

This is a story about one of the British settlements in America.


NEXT: [Chapter 1, Further Settlement]

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[Settlement, Revolution & War -- Book 2 (1760-1815)]
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