The Acadians
Acadians are descendants of groups of French settlers, who arrived between the 1630s to 1650s. Control of this area switched between the French and English nine times during the Acadian period and their lives were often affected by decisions made far from their homes.
Although the French had been in the area since 1604, it wasn’t until 1632 when Cardinal Richelieu gave control of the colony to his cousin Issac de Razilly that serious colonization efforts began. The colonists that he brought with him were from the region of Saintonge where they had learned the Dutch system of building dykes to reclaim farmland. These were the first true “Acadians”.
In 1654 the English took Port Royal and claimed the colony. This attack prompted many Acadians to move away from the immediate area of Port Royal and spread up Annapolis River. The colony was returned to the French after the restoration of Charles II to the English throne. In 1670 Charles returned the colony to France.
In 1661 Louis XIV (the ‘sun king’) came to power. Under Louis and his advisor, Colbert, growth was encouraged in the colonies. By the 1680’s the area of ‘mines’ (‘Grand Pre’) was established and by the middle of the decade Acadians had spread to this area, with many Acadians moving from the Annapolis River area to the Avon River, then called the Pisiquid River, which means “meeting of the waters” in the Mi’kmaw language. They established the villages of Rivet, Foret, Babin, Landry, Thibodeau, and Vincent. Acadians living here included the Daignon, Godin, Doravon, Borillor, Girouard, Thibaudau, Breaux, Landry, Vincent, and Daigle families.
In 1700 Louis XIV convinced the ruler of Spain to declare one of Louis’s grandsons heir to Spanish throne. The prospect of France and Spain united caused the ‘War of the Spanish Succession’. In 1710 a combined force of British and colonial troops once again captured Port Royal. The French were defeated in 1713 and under the terms of the ‘Treaty of Utrecht’ mainland Nova Scotia once and for all became British possession. Under British rule the Acadians were asked to take an oath of allegiance. Instead they asked to be allowed to take an oath guaranteeing neutrality. They accepted this.
The years following the British conquest were actually very prosperous for the Acadians. France built Louisbourg in what is now Cape Breton in 1722 and the British founded Halifax and the Citadel to counter the threat in 1749. For the Acadians this meant two large new centers to trade with. The old French road went from Grand Pré to Windsor and split with one branch going from Wentworth to Chester and on to Halifax. The other branch crossed the Saint Croix River near sweets corner (as it does today) and eventually made is way across the Isthmus to Tatamagouche Bay where trade was conducted with ships from Louisbourg.
Acadians built dykes to reclaim salt marshes for farming and produced enough food for their own use and for export. They did not threaten fishing or hunting grounds of Mi’kmaq, who became their allies and family members.
After the ‘War of the Austrian Succession’ ended in 1748 tensions continued between the French and the English. Attempting to remain neutral in conflict between Britain and France, they agreed to sign oaths of allegiance to the British, but not oaths that required them to fight against French or Mi’kmaq. This was the excuse given to launch the Expulsion of the Acadians, which displaced 10,000 to 18,000 Acadians and killed thousands through starvation, drowning, and disease. Around 6000 were deported. Families were torn apart and their homes were burned down. Most ended up in the New England area and along the Eastern seaboard up to Georgia. There were some who had escaped and were in Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island or even stayed in Nova Scotia and hid with the Mi’kmaq. Some Acadians who remained behind, hidden by Mi’kmaq, were later captured and hired out to Planters to repair dykes or to farm. In the early 1760s, there were more Acadian prisoners at Fort Edward in Windsor than there were settlers there.
While most Acadian farms and orchards were burnt to discourage their return, in this area some buildings were left standing, and the first lands granted to the Planters were those that had been farmed by Acadians.
In 1763, Acadians were permitted to return but not to their earlier lands or communities. Today just over 3% of Nova Scotia’s population is Acadian. Dykes built by the Acadians in the early 1700s along the Avon River still protect the land from salt water inundation.
A 2013 archaeological dig in Poplar Grove (Village Thibodeau) brought together descendents of local Acadians and Planters who had farmed the same lands for centuries.
Although the French had been in the area since 1604, it wasn’t until 1632 when Cardinal Richelieu gave control of the colony to his cousin Issac de Razilly that serious colonization efforts began. The colonists that he brought with him were from the region of Saintonge where they had learned the Dutch system of building dykes to reclaim farmland. These were the first true “Acadians”.
In 1654 the English took Port Royal and claimed the colony. This attack prompted many Acadians to move away from the immediate area of Port Royal and spread up Annapolis River. The colony was returned to the French after the restoration of Charles II to the English throne. In 1670 Charles returned the colony to France.
In 1661 Louis XIV (the ‘sun king’) came to power. Under Louis and his advisor, Colbert, growth was encouraged in the colonies. By the 1680’s the area of ‘mines’ (‘Grand Pre’) was established and by the middle of the decade Acadians had spread to this area, with many Acadians moving from the Annapolis River area to the Avon River, then called the Pisiquid River, which means “meeting of the waters” in the Mi’kmaw language. They established the villages of Rivet, Foret, Babin, Landry, Thibodeau, and Vincent. Acadians living here included the Daignon, Godin, Doravon, Borillor, Girouard, Thibaudau, Breaux, Landry, Vincent, and Daigle families.
In 1700 Louis XIV convinced the ruler of Spain to declare one of Louis’s grandsons heir to Spanish throne. The prospect of France and Spain united caused the ‘War of the Spanish Succession’. In 1710 a combined force of British and colonial troops once again captured Port Royal. The French were defeated in 1713 and under the terms of the ‘Treaty of Utrecht’ mainland Nova Scotia once and for all became British possession. Under British rule the Acadians were asked to take an oath of allegiance. Instead they asked to be allowed to take an oath guaranteeing neutrality. They accepted this.
The years following the British conquest were actually very prosperous for the Acadians. France built Louisbourg in what is now Cape Breton in 1722 and the British founded Halifax and the Citadel to counter the threat in 1749. For the Acadians this meant two large new centers to trade with. The old French road went from Grand Pré to Windsor and split with one branch going from Wentworth to Chester and on to Halifax. The other branch crossed the Saint Croix River near sweets corner (as it does today) and eventually made is way across the Isthmus to Tatamagouche Bay where trade was conducted with ships from Louisbourg.
Acadians built dykes to reclaim salt marshes for farming and produced enough food for their own use and for export. They did not threaten fishing or hunting grounds of Mi’kmaq, who became their allies and family members.
After the ‘War of the Austrian Succession’ ended in 1748 tensions continued between the French and the English. Attempting to remain neutral in conflict between Britain and France, they agreed to sign oaths of allegiance to the British, but not oaths that required them to fight against French or Mi’kmaq. This was the excuse given to launch the Expulsion of the Acadians, which displaced 10,000 to 18,000 Acadians and killed thousands through starvation, drowning, and disease. Around 6000 were deported. Families were torn apart and their homes were burned down. Most ended up in the New England area and along the Eastern seaboard up to Georgia. There were some who had escaped and were in Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island or even stayed in Nova Scotia and hid with the Mi’kmaq. Some Acadians who remained behind, hidden by Mi’kmaq, were later captured and hired out to Planters to repair dykes or to farm. In the early 1760s, there were more Acadian prisoners at Fort Edward in Windsor than there were settlers there.
While most Acadian farms and orchards were burnt to discourage their return, in this area some buildings were left standing, and the first lands granted to the Planters were those that had been farmed by Acadians.
In 1763, Acadians were permitted to return but not to their earlier lands or communities. Today just over 3% of Nova Scotia’s population is Acadian. Dykes built by the Acadians in the early 1700s along the Avon River still protect the land from salt water inundation.
A 2013 archaeological dig in Poplar Grove (Village Thibodeau) brought together descendents of local Acadians and Planters who had farmed the same lands for centuries.
Bien que les Français étaient ici dans la région depuis 1604, ce n’était pas jusqu’à 1632 quand Cardinal Richelieu a donné le contrôle de la colonie de son cousin Issac de Razilly que la colonisation sérieuse a commencé. Les colons qu’il a apportés avec lui étaient de la région de Saintonge où ils avaient appris le système Néerlandais de construisant les digues pour récupérer les terres arables. Ceux-ci étaient les premiers vrais « Acadiens ».
En 1654 les Anglais ont pris Port Royal et la colonie. Cette attaque a poussé plusieurs Acadiens de déménager de l’environnement immédiat de Port Royal et de se répandre le long de la Rivière Annapolis. La colonie était retournée aux Français après la restauration de Charles II du trone Anglais. En 1670 Charles a retourné la colonie au France.
En 1661 Louis XIV (le « roi de soleil ») a devenu en pouvoir. Sous Louis et son conseilleur, Colbert, la croissance était encouragée dans les colonies. Par les 1680’s la région des « mines » (Grand pré) était établi et par le milieu de la décennie les Acadiens avait répandu à ce région.
En 1700 Louis XIV a convaincu le chef d’Espagne de déclarer un des petits-fils de Louis héritier du trône espagnol. La chance de la France et l’Espagne unis a causé la Guerre de la Succession Espagnole. En 1710 un force combiné des britanniques et troupes coloniaux a encore une fois capturé Port Royal. Les Français étaient vaincu en 1713 et sous les termes de le traité d’Utrecht la Nouvelle-Écosse continental a une bonne fois pour toutes devenu la possession des britanniques. Sous le règne britannique les Acadiens étaient demandé de faire un serment d’allégeance. Plutôt ils ont demandé d’être autorisé de faire un serment garantissant la neutralité. Ils ont l‘accepté.
Les années suivant la conquête britannique étaient en fait très florissantes pour les Acadiens. La France a construit Louisbourg dans ce qui est maintenant Cap-Breton en 1722 et les britanniques ont fondé Halifax et le Citadelle pour contrer la menace en 1749. Pour les Acadiens ce signifiait deux nouvelles centres de échanger avec. La veille route Français est allé de Grand Pré à Windsor et a divisé avec un embranchement allant de Wentworth à Chester et a continué à l’Halifax. L’autre embranchement a traversé la Rivière Saint Croix près de Sweets Corner (comme il fait aujourd’hui) et éventuellement a traversé l’Isthmus à la Baie Tatamagouche où le commerce était mené avec les navires de Louisbourg.
Après la « Guerre de la Succession Australien » est fini en 1748 les tensions ont continué entre la Français et l’Anglais jusqu’à sur le 31 juillet, 1755 Gouverneur Lawrence a fait la décision très importante d’expulser tous les Acadiens qui ont refusé de fait le serment d’allégeance non qualifié. Environ 6000 étaient expulsé. Les familles étaient déchirées et leurs maisons étaient détruites par le feu. Plusieurs ont se retrouvé le long du bord de mer de l’est jusqu’à la Géorgie. Il y avaient quelques-uns qui avaient s’évadé et étaient dans Québec, Nouveau Brunswick, L’île du Prince-Édouard ou même restaient dans la Nouvelle-Écosse et s’est caché avec les Mi’kmaq.
