Looking Back, Moving Forward: Documenting the Heritage of African Nova Scotians

This proclamation invited Americans to desert to the British side during the War of 1812. Although the proclamation was not scecifically directed at enslaved Blacks, the intent of the document is clear. The British believed that if they offered freedom and rations to potential escapees many enslaved Blacks would leave their owners. The strategy worked, as nearly 4000 did so. They subsequently settled in British colonies. By the end of 1816 over 1600 of them had settled in Nova Scotia. A number of ensalved Blacks had already taken the initiative to escape to British ships and encampments before Cochrane's proclamation.

Date: 2 April 1814

Reference: Commissioner of Public Records Nova Scotia Archives RG 1 volume 111 pages 99-100