Cape Breton's Magazine

ly to the invasion of 1812, whereas you get little anti-Americanism here, and it's usually imported from central Canada--be? cause we tend to have a positive view to? ward New England, because of trade links and because we were the invaders in the War of 1812. It was our ship, the Shannon, which destroyed the American ship Chesa? peake and towed her into Halifax harbour. We were the victors in that, one of the greatest sea battles in Canadian history-- which is not usually mentioned much in Can? adian books. Apart from all that, America fell out with Britain, and trade with the British West Indies was cut off to the Americans. That's when our ships pour down from the Maritimes and take over the market from the Americans. Exportations of fish from the Maritimes down to the West Indies to. feed the slaves, pick up tropical products, especially bring sugar to England, pick up manufactured goods and bring them back to the Maritime colonies--plates and chairs-- to major ports like Saint John and Halifax. Then they could be smuggled into the U. S. Because the U. S. was in a state of war with Great Britain. The New Englanders didn't believe in the War of 1812. See, in the Midwest they were for the war--they were expansionists, and they wanted to move west and take over the Indian territories that Britain owned; whereas the New Englanders were opposed to the war because they knew they would lose trade--they were so much opposed that some of them wanted to secede from the U. S. This never came to pass. But what did come to pass was smuggling, and the officials of New England, along the coast, just looked the other way--manufacturing goods being smuggled in from the Maritime Prov? inces . Or American ships would come up, load in Halifax harbour, and take the smug? gled goods back. Otherwise, New England would have really suffered. As it was, New England suffered very badly during the War of 1812. On the other hand, for us, this was the first positive influx of capital into the region--into the Maritime region. Now, who's going to benefit from this in? flux? Well, because of the War of 1812, a large number of troops were stationed in Halifax and Saint John, the Maritime Prov- inces--and all these barracks had to be heated--and for that they needed our coal. So all during this period--from 1803-04 on? ward, as relations with the United States get worse, and more and more troops are stationed in the Maritime Provinces--the amount of coal needed increases. As Hali? fax and Saint John--and St. John's, New? foundland, to a lesser extent--grow be? cause of trade and commerce, they all need more and more of our coal. The demand for Cape Breton coal increases, to such an ex? tent that they try to open mines in Pic- tou--but they fail. So there is pressure on the Governors in Cape Breton and the people who are running the mines--some- times it's private, sometimes it's govern? ment- -to produce more coal. Finally, the government has to take over--it is a kind of precursor of DEVCO. It is interesting how privatization versus government work? ing at the coal is a big thing way back then. So Murray dismisses the private in- Fully Licensed for Fine Dining and Lunches, featuring Steaks and Seafood The Townhouse restaurant GEORGE 6c DORCHESTER STREETS Serving Downtown Sydney 24 Hours a Day SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA MacLeod's Bookstore Ltd Booksxxi CaoeBreton Still Standing, Terry Sunderland 7.95 Cape Breton Historical Essays 5.95 Images of Cape Breton, photos by Warren Gorden 18.95 Scotland Farewell: People of the "Hector" by Donald McKay 14.95 Dragon Lady, Silver Donald Cameron 12.95 Cape Breton, photos by Owen Fitzgerald 10.95 DOWN NORTH:The Book of Cape Breton's Magazine 12.95 Mail Orders i 361 Charlotte Street - P. O. Box 658 | SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA I CANADA A Specialty (37)