Ethos of Voice in the Journal of James Rainstorpe Morris. From the Sable Island Humane State, 1801-1802

To study James Rainstorpe Morris’s journal (kept by order of Nova Scotia’s government) is to get a privileged glimpse into the life of a famous Atlantic Maritime community as it was being founded, that of the Sable Island Humane Station. James Morris was responsible for making the Humane Station the successful social experiment it was, and he is also noteworthy as a member of the Planters of Nova Scotia, the first wave of colonists from New England who settled in Nova Scotia in the mid-eighteenth century. By studying the rhetoric of Planters like Morris, we gain insight on the cultural ethos which Canada and the United States share today. This study will appeal to scholars interested in rhetoric, literacy, and historical studies. Includes a transcription of the journal.