Conclusion
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.
