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Primary sourceLetter1839

Letters to Lord John Russell on Responsible Government

Joseph Howe · 1839

Open letters Joseph Howe wrote in 1839 to the British Colonial Secretary arguing for responsible government in Nova Scotia.

Howe wrote these letters himself, making the case for responsible government that Nova Scotia later achieved.

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About this source

What it is

This is a printed set of letters written by Joseph Howe and addressed to Lord John Russell, the British Secretary of State for the Colonies. The letters set out arguments for the right of British North Americans to govern their own internal affairs through elected representatives. A digitised microform copy survives from the original publication held at the Library of the Public Archives of Canada.

Why it matters

Howe's letters were part of the long campaign for responsible government, a system in which the colonial government would answer to the elected assembly rather than to appointed officials. Nova Scotia became the first British colony to achieve this, in 1848. The letters show how Howe used persuasive writing addressed directly to imperial authorities to press for political change.

Look closer

  • Why does Howe begin by insisting he is not seeking personal notoriety?
  • What tone does he use when addressing a powerful imperial official?
  • What does this document reveal about how colonial politicians tried to influence decisions made far away in Britain?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joseph Howe on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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