Social 20 - Acadia

Acadian Shared History

  • Samuel de Champlain founded Acadia in Canada

  • The Acadians lived along side the Mi’kmaq since 1604 - for over 100 years before the British arrived

  • The British fought a war against the Frnech - War of Spanish Succession and won

    • Treaty of Utrecht 1723: Acadia became a British Colony

    • The British renamed Acadia to Nova Scotia (Latin for New Scotland) and attempt assimilation

  • Acadia however retained control of Ile St. Jean and Ile Royale

Loyalties and the Great Deportation

  • British weary of loyalties the french held for the new colony Nova Scotia, so they gave the natives (Acadians) an ultimatum of swearing allegiance to Britain or to be expelled from the region

  • Acadians swear to neutrality, they were cast out to other British colonies that would cast them out/make them the minority

  • 1755 -British demand the Acadians swear an Oath of Allegiance to the British

  • British govoner distrusted Acadians and ordered the great deportation of 10 000 of they by force to many difference locations

    • many became refugees in Louisiana

  • Approximately 7 000 Acadians deported during 1755, about 2 700 died due to poor health environment on ships

  • Another 10 000 suffered in the winter of 1755-1756

  • According to British records - approximately 23,000 Acadians before deportation, estimated only 10 000 survived

Things to note:

  • Seven Years War in 1756 - between France and England (which is by the British demanded the allegiance)

  • France lost control of Ile Saint-John (PEI), and Ile Royal (Cape Breton Island)

  • Acadians not allowed to return to previously lived in areas, until 1763 and forced to swear allegiance to Britain

Mi’kmaq aid Acadians

  • Helped thousands of Acadians survive (sheltered and hid them)

  • Mi’kmaq were being hunted, killed, and scalped (basically targeted) by British colonial rangers, but still helped Acadians in the countryside to avoid deportation until everything settled down

  • British colonies began passing laws “forbidding the groups [Acadian and Mik’maq] to speak or intermarry,” but they were not successful in keeping the populations separated

  • Mi’kmaq aid deportees in settling in New France colonies (such as Quebec)