A Public Defense of Private Power: "DeLancey v. Woodin" and the Decline of Slavery in Nova Scotia, 1800–1808

Abstract

This thesis examines the 1801 "DeLancey v. Woodin" case and its associated 1802 pamphlet titled "Opinions of Several Gentlemen of the Law, On the Subject of Negro Servitude in the Province of Nova Scotia." Though the pamphlet sought to clarify slavery’s uncertain legal status in Nova Scotia and bolster James DeLancey’s trover suit against William Woodin, neither effort succeeded. This thesis asserts that while "DeLancey v. Woodin" was unusual in form and scope, it was not unique. The lawsuit was one of several thwarted attempts made by Nova Scotian enslavers to secure their perceived rights to own human property.

Despite its failures, "DeLancey v. Woodin" generated an abnormally rich body of archival materials. At the centre of this record is Jack, whose 1800 escape from DeLancey’s estate kickstarted the lawsuit and underscores how enslaved and formerly enslaved people exercised agency while navigating Nova Scotia’s shifting cultural and legal landscapes. Ultimately, this thesis argues that "DeLancey v. Woodin" was significant not for altering slavery’s legality, but for revealing how Loyalism, identity formation, print culture, law, and resistance intersected to shape Nova Scotia’s sociopolitical development in the years following the War for American Independence.