History of New Brunswick

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

27111

Title

History of New Brunswick

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This historical account chronicles the arduous settlement of New Brunswick by Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. With a tone of patriotic reverence, it details the severe privations faced by early pioneers, their resilience in subduing the wilderness, and the province's subsequent agricultural and industrial growth.

Summary up to 500 words

Originally published in 1825 by Peter Fisher, *History of New Brunswick* chronicles the province's transformation from a desolate wilderness into a thriving community following its separation from Nova Scotia in 1784. The narrative centers on the arrival of approximately 4,500 Loyalists in 1783–84, who fled the American Revolution to seek asylum. Upon reaching the Saint John River, these settlers faced immediate, life-threatening hardships: starvation, freezing temperatures, and a complete lack of housing or tools. Fisher details their desperate survival strategies, including consuming wild beans, maple sugar, and even poisonous weeds, while relying on government provisions hauled by hand-sleds over ice. The text highlights the ingenuity of the first settlers, who constructed log cabins and bark-roofed huts, often enduring nights where family members took turns warming boards to prevent freezing children. Fisher provides a statistical and geographical overview of the province, outlining the counties of Westmorland and Northumberland. He describes the development of key industries, including lumbering, shipbuilding, and agriculture, noting the export of timber and fish to Britain and the West Indies. However, he also addresses the challenges posed by foreign lumbering practices that depleted resources, warning that the wealth generated often passed through the province to foreign hands without benefiting local inhabitants. The book concludes by honoring the sacrifices of these pioneers, whose perseverance subdued the wilderness and laid the foundation for the province's future prosperity. Fisher's work serves as both a historical record and a tribute to the loyalty and self-sacrifice of the Loyalists who built New Brunswick's foundation.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/27111.epub.noimages

Local file path

data/epubs/pg27111.epub

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2026-07-06 02:07 UTC

Categories

• History
• Travel