Nova Scotia Analysis

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Pages: 8

The State of the North American Trade and Settlements Considered: With a Particular Account of Nova Scotia was written by Otis Little in 1748. In his account, Little implores the British to settle in Nova Scotia, as its resources and present inhabitants would be a great benefit to the British Crown in his opinion. He felt that the British would not have to further drain their population because of the current inhabitants Nova Scotia had to offer, which would keep the country better populated, and curb ideas of revolt among the colonists. Furthermore, the rich, fertile soil and abundant wildlife and natural resources that Nova Scotia offered would make the area a very lucrative asset to the British. Finally, other European nations were expanding …show more content…
Little felt that in order for a country to become more commercially powerful, it must expand trade with foreign lands and population in those lands as well. As the colonies have more people, they will have greater demand and ability to pay for British goods, bringing more wealth to the Crown. Some British citizens and officials felt, however, that with so much population in a land so far away, the colonists would create local governments and ultimately rebel against the British Crown. Little adamantly refuted this point, as he felt the people of Nova Scotia would show no signs of revolt: “This is so far from having the least Foundation to support it, that I am positive no People on Earth are more firmly attached to their Prince, than they are to his majesty and the present Establishment…” (page 10). He claimed that the colonies were too dependent on the British government to rebel, as they needed their financial and trade protection, as well as support. Moreover, he pointed out that the French, Spanish, and Dutch all had promoted their American colonies and their expansion, and none had experienced any serious revolts. All these European countries understood the lucrative resources that the Americas had, and were willing to look past their dangers to reap their …show more content…
The French and Indian War proved to be a pivotal moment in Nova Scotia’s history. As the British fought the French, Nova Scotia’s landscape changed drastically from 1759-1768. For example, in 1754 Nova Scotia was granted a Supreme Court, in 1763 Cape Breton Island was absorbed into the colony, and in 1765 the Sunbury County was created. The huge migration to Nova Scotia did not take place until the fighting was over, and a large part of the migration was Scottish immigrants. In 1762, Scottish families started to immigrate to Canadian lands, with the first ships getting to Nova Scotia in 1773. Nova Scotia became predominantly Scottish-speaking, as more and more Scottish immigrants arrived, and Scottish clans would last into the twentieth century. The main reasons for doing so were the huge profits that European countries were finding with Nova Scotia’s materials, creating a competition for land amongst them. Both were phenomena that Little claimed would happen if British decided to colonize, or decided to stay idle while others