Nova Scotia during the American Revolution

7/7 Conclusion

By Bill J. Wilms

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There are several explanations on why the Nova Scotia Yankees chose to remain neutral. It is true that the geographical structure of the colony left Nova Scotian's somewhat isolated from neighboring towns. It is also true that the British troops in Halifax did pose a considerable threat. But it is totally false to come to the conclusion that these factors alone were the prime factors in Nova Scotia's decision to remain neutral. One cannot exclude the effect Henry Alline and the Great Awakening had on the colony. It was Alline who leveled with the confused Yankees in Nova Scotia. It was Alline who remedied the situation with a message of hope and love which profoundly affected and converted the people. It was Henry Alline who gave the Yankees in Nova Scotia a new sense of purpose and a new identity. The revival provided a new political and cultural identity for the Nova Scotians (Marini 43). With this new identity and a new sense of purpose, the Nova Scotians felt obliged to be the Christ-like examples about whom Alline had preached. They felt compelled to be the "light of the world" in a world engulfed in violence and tragedy. If they were to be truly the "light of the world", then it would be crucial to disassociate themselves from the war. The Nova Scotian's did not see the revival as way for not fighting the British. On the contrary, they saw the revival as a chance to exercise their new identity and to fulfill their new purpose. Therefore, the Great Awakening of Nova Scotia was the main factor leading the Nova Scotians into establishing a neutral position in the War of Independence.

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