Frigates and Foremasts: The North American Squadron in Nova Scotia Waters, 1745-1815 (review)

While the operations of the British North American Squadron on the coast of Nova Scotia over a period of seventy years might appear to be a subject of merely local interest, Julian Gwyn has created a jewel-like vignette of naval history in the broadest context. From the start it is clear that local events possessed a strategic significance far beyond the region. The British established a North American Station in 1745 in response to French forces at nearby Louisbourg. With local command of the sea British and New England forces captured and destroyed Louisbourg. When the French challenge collapsed in 1760 the local squadron was greatly reduced, until the rebellion of the thirteen colonies put Nova Scotia back on the front line. With a secure base at Halifax the squadron played a vital role in defining the limits of rebellion, as symbol and executor of Imperial policy. Halifax also provided a new home for loyalists.

After only a decade of peace Britain entered a global war with Revolutionary and Imperial France. Occasionally French warships visited Nova Scotian waters, but Nova Scotia was an active centre for naval and privateer operations against American merchant shipping trying to break the British blockade of France. In 1812 the American attack on Canada did not ignore Nova Scotia and the Atlantic trade routes that it covered. After initial embarrassment the Royal Navy recovered command of local waters, and on 1 June 1813 HMS Shannon restored the reputation of the service with a stunning victory over the USS Chesapeake off Boston. The triumphant return of victor and vanquished to Halifax provided a brief moment of glory to punctuate years of sustained hard work. The British blockade and coastal attacks helped end the war. Throughout these turbulent times the strength of the North American Squadron reflected specific needs, rather than abstract concepts. While Britain had command of the sea it was relatively easy to reinforce the squadron when necessary. The base at Halifax was developed to refit ships from the West Indies as well as those based in the north. Locally produced naval stores were sent to other new world bases, while British dependence on locally felled masts increased after 1783. Fishery protection was the permanent task: fish not land had drawn the English to the region. The Navy was used to stop French and later American interlopers exploiting local resources. It might seem petty, but the control of fisheries was a basic building block of naval power.

Julian Gwyn has travelled these waters before, notably in his work on Admiral Sir Peter Warren two decades ago, but this elegantly written volume offers a fresh and stimulating approach to naval history. Shannon aside there were few moments of glory, so event based histories have largely by-passed these waters. To rectify the situation Gwyn links naval and Nova Scotian history, global strategy and local problems, providing a unique insight into the nature of British naval power in the eighteenth century. This will be required reading for historians of the Royal Navy, Nova Scotia, and North America.