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(the purpose of persuasion here being the Margaret Conrad, ed., MakingAdjust- 'justness' of the judicial conclusion). The ments: Change and Continuity in most innovative demonstration of the Planter 1759-1800, relevance of narrative analysis to legal (Fredericton: Acadiensis Press 1991). theory is Klinck's inclusion of an entire case summary, and his subsequent dissec- There has been a debate within the academic tion of it into its narrative elements. This community regarding the viability of "re- gional" history as a means of understanding is a clear and persuasive method of pres- and interpreting Canada's past. Though the entation, and its more frequent use could days are gone when history was a narrative of have helped create a greater degree of the "grand scheme" of things, there is still a "intensity," for the rest of the text. tendency to view Canada's history as the sum Klinck also examines the relevance of nar- of its parts. Among those countering this trend rative analysis to law in general, by discussing are scholars in Atlantic Canada who have been the possibile interpretation of precedent as a generating a rich and varied regional histori- narrative convention of law: that all like sto- ography which speaks not only to "locals," ries must have like endings. He discusses but to people outside the region as well. theories that see "archetypal stories" as lying Evidence that aspects of Canadian history behind all narratives (which would justify our on the periphery have been overlooked in the practice of distilling a case into its archetypal "Upper Canadian stew" can be found in the meanings for use as a precedent). These con- way in which historians view the arrival of the trasting positions of 'archetypal' and 'con- United Empire Loyalists into what is now crete'underlie the dichotomy in legal thinking Ontario and Nova Scotia. Often not con- between, the demand for application of gen- sidered are the cases of Nova Scotia and New eralizing rules, and the demand for distin- Brunswick, where Loyalists were not the first guishing these rules based upon the specific wave of migrants to arrive from the former facts of each case. By examining the effective- British Colonies to the south. ness of methods for presenting narratives, Planters predated Loyalists by roughly whether in legal writing or witness testimony, twenty years, yet Canadian history studies Klinck gives us yet another set of tools to often give them little notice. However more control (or understand the control of), a legal than the Loyalists, the Planters, along with the explication of reality. Micmac, and German Protestants, Unfortunately, The Word of the Law, as a defined Nova Scotian society and set the tone text, has some substantial problems. Suppos- for Nova Scotia's response to the 1867 union. edly written as an "introduction" to the area, Revising notions about the extent of Loyalist Klinck's work shows very little sympathy for influence across regional boundaries is the new reader in the field. It contains far too among the work being done by scholars in the much jargon and technical terminology, and field of Planter Studies. poorly differentiates between the use of the Indicative of how certain groups have same term by different schools of theory. It been obscured by history -and historians - generally suffers from: "unjustifiable sub- is that the term Planter must be defined. After stantive complexity" (too much material ex- the expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, efforts tranious to the author's argument), and an were made to "repopulate" the fertile dyke- overall lack of "intensity." In short, it may lands they left behind. Between 1759 and quickly discourage all but the most persistent 1768, the Planters, approximately 8000 emi- of readers. Although Klinck's The Word of the grants from New England, came to "plant" Law is a substantial contribution to the study settlements throughout the of the relationship of law and language, it of Nova Scotia. As well, they tried to trans- suffers from the major failure, ironically, of plant the political, social and economic struc- being written in a style that hinders commu- ture of eighteenthcentury New England to nication. colonial Nova Scotia. They Planted Well:New England Planters David S. Berry in Maritime Canada, published in 1988, con- Queen's University tained the proceedings from the first confer- Reviews 201 ence in Planter Studies held in 1987. The (l l) So, it would appear that Planter Studies, participants and their papers covered a broad like many of the sub-fields within Canadian spectrum of topics and methodologies, from history, has matured and begun to look be- immigration patterns through community de- yond itself for both questions and answers. velopment and on to material culture. Mar- The proceedings from the 1993 Conference, garet Conrad suggested, in her introduction to which has the family as its theme, will no that volume, that "most of the research is doubt further contribute to all historians' un- tentative . . . and little of it is definitive. Much derstanding of the totality of our past. remains to be done." (13) Making Adjust- ments, the second volume in the series, pre- Lorraine Coops sents the new developments within the field. Queen's University Theessay which perhaps contains the most "food for thought" and best reflects the Michael Piva, The Borrowing Proc- themes of the book is John Reid's "Change ess: Public Finance in the Province of and Continuity in Nova Scotia, 1758-1775." Canada, 1840-67 (Ottawa: University Rather than rejecting "geopolitical" studies of of Ottawa Press 1992). the past, Reid suggests that the work of pass6 historians can now be cautiously reexanhed. As left-leaning provincial governments For within their sense of the grand sweep of across Canada champion austerity programs, Empire lies the seeds of understanding the Michael Piva's historical examination of the complex shifts within the political, economic fiscal crises of the Province of Canada prior and social realities of life in Nova Scotia to Confederation may be more timely than he during this period. At work in these collectivc or his publishers expected. In this solidly survival strategies were the notions of conti- documented account of the history of public nuity and change which characterize Mari- finance in the Union period, Piva reminds us time history. Given the new thrust of historical of an earlier set of debt crises which succes- investigation in the 1990s, these "societal re- sive govemments struggled to resolve, or alignments" can now be discussed in terms of avoid. Indeed, Piva contends that the public ethnicity, the environment and native and non- debt helped give birth to the Dominion of native relations and, although Reid does not Canada in 1867. mention it, I would also suggest gender and This book will prove to be a valuable class. resource for those scholars interested in eco- The multidisciplinary approach utilized by nomic development and state formation in Planter scholars provides a lively interdisci- Victorian Canada. We can all thank Piva for plinary perspective to the volume. There is wading through a complex set of Department room within the field to include Joan Daw- of Finance documents, and for making sense son's interpretation of contemporary maps, of the trade and public finance statistics of the Marc Lavoie's look at archaeological evi- period. Pivashows that it was worth theeffort, dence and Nancy Vogan's study of Planter demonstrating the importance of the borrow- music traditions, as well as pieces in the more ing process to economic development and to "traditional" realms of history, such as Julian state formation. Gwyn's essay on the Planter economy or Don- Scholars obsessed with Canada's staple ald Desserud's exploration of the concept of exports have often forgotten that Canadians Planter neutrality during the American Revo- consistently imported far more goods than lution. Like any volume of conference pro- they exported, creating a potential balance of ceedings, however, not all essays are created payments crisis. Piva argues that govemments equal. Some are more scholarly, others more overcame these continuing trade deficits by accessible and the level of research and ana- importing capital. Prior to the 1840s, defence ly tical varies. spending by the British government provided As the range of papers suggests, Conrad is the flow of money which allowed Canadians quite right in stating that "the larger cultural to pay for imports. During the Union period, and comparative context seems to be a more provincial government expenditures func- rewarding avenue for research than one that tioned in a similar fashion. The Canadian state focuses narrowly on the Planters themselves." borrowed money from British investors to