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| === History === | | === History === |
| | A particular situation in Nova Scotia played a large role in land development. The better timber suited for the construction of ship masts belonged to the crown for the use of the royal navy. The government was hesitant to grant large tracts of land because of this very necessary resource. In the mid-eighteenth century, they changed the policy to allow large land grants to associations and individuals who would agree to bring settlers in. The years 1760 to 1773 witnessed almost 5½ million acres granted under this system. At that time no more than 13,000 people lived in the colony. In 1774 they decided to stop these free grants and would sell land instead. This only lasted for one year and in 1775 the land granting system started again. |
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| Nova Scotia, one of the Atlantic Provinces, consists of two parts: peninsular Nova Scotia separated from the mainland by the Bay of Fundy and connected by the narrow Chignecto Isthmus and Cape Breton Island. Originally, first held by France, it was known as Acadia and included what is now New Brunswick. Cape Breton Island was called Île Royale.
| | The first contingent of 1,000 United Empire Loyalist men, women and children left Boston, USA, and headed for Nova Scotia in March 1776. By 1783 Nova Scotia saw 30,000 more United Empire Loyalists enter their colony. Some 14,000 settled in Sunbury County (which became New Brunswick in 1874) and the remainder stayed in Nova Scotia. These refugees were given free land grants by the British authorities. |
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| The British name Nova Scotia dates from 1621 when a Scot, Sir William Alexander, was given a charter for colonization. French influence dominated the territory until 1710, when the British captured Port Royal and renamed it Annapolis Royal. The surrender of the fortress of Louisbourg in 1745 effectively ended French rule in this region.
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| The French-speaking Acadians were caught in the conflict between the two countries and then they were expelled in 1755 and 1758. Halifax was founded in 1749 and its small population was augmented by settlers from the American colonies to the south. After the American Revolution, thousands of United Empire Loyalists arrived in 1783-4. New Brunswick and Cape Breton became separate colonies (the latter was re-annexed in 1820).
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| From 1815 to 1850 there were about 55,000 immigrants, mostly Scottish and Irish, which came to the province. Nova Scotia was a charter member of Confederation in 1867 and by 1876 the railway from Halifax to Québec was completed.
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| As you can see, the development of Nova Scotia was based on many events and as the population grew the issue of land became an important one.
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| Another particular situation was present in Nova Scotia that played a large role in the land development. The better timber suited for the construction of ship masts belonged to the crown for the use of the royal navy. The government was hesitant to grant large tracts of land because of this very necessary resource. In the mid-eighteenth century they changed the policy to allow large land grants to associations and individuals who would agree to bring settlers in. This policy at least temporarily locked up much of Nova Scotia’s land.
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| The years 1760 to 1773 witnessed almost 5½ million acres granted under this system. At that time no more than 13,000 people lived in the colony. In 1774 they decided to stop these free grants and would sell land instead. This only lasted for one year and in 1775 the land granting system started again.
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| The first contingent of 1,000 United Empire Loyalist men, women and children left Boston, USA, and headed for Nova Scotia in March 1776. By 1783 Nova Scotia saw 30,000 more United Empire Loyalists enter their colony. Some 14,000 settled in Sunbury County (which became New Brunswick in 1874) and the remainder stayed in Nova Scotia. These refugees were given free land grants by the British authorities. | |
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| In many places it was difficult to find land not already granted, though there might not be a soul living within miles. Considerable areas had been escheated (taken back) for non-fulfillment of settlement conditions, but frequently Loyalists were placed on land claimed by others. This prompted years of negotiating to clear titles. In the nineteenth century many farmers still lacked clear title to the land they had farmed for years.
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| In 1790 free grants were cut off again in order to develop land more efficiently and increase revenues. This made immigration more difficult because very few wishing to emigrate had the money needed to actually buy land. Those who did come either squatted or obtained licenses as actual occupying settlers, not property owners.
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| Explorations were undertaken in the 1800s in Nova Scotia by a pioneer ecologist and surveyor, Titus Smith. He traveled through the interior and appraised the soil and timber resources but reported only small pockets of land where farming could be tried.
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| In 1808 the granting of land commenced again but a debate between free grants versus land sales continued. In 1827 a system of selling land on a term basis was introduced by the Colonial Office over the opposition of the Atlantic colonies as the colonies realized that their lands were not attractive to potential purchasers.
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| === Public Archives of Nova Scotia === | | === Public Archives of Nova Scotia === |