The Story of Acadia

History of the Name “Acadia”

• Acadia has its origins in the explorations of Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer serving the king of France,

• In 1524-25 he explored the Atlantic coast of North America and gave the name "Archadia", or “Arcadia” in Italian, to a region near the present-day American state of Delaware

• In 1566, the cartographer Bolongnini Zaltieri gave a similar name, "Larcadia," to an area far to the northeast that was to become Nova Scotia and New Brunswick

• The 1524 notes of Portuguese explorer Estêvão Gomes also included Newfoundland as part of the area he called “Arcadie”

17th Century North America

Acadia

Founding of Acadia• The first Acadian settlers arrived in 1604

at Île Sainte-Croix on the St Croix River under the leadership of Pierre du Gua de Monts and Samuel de Champlain

• It ended in disaster as almost half of the 80 settlers died from scurvy

• The settlers founded and moved to Port Royal in 1605, which would become the eventual capital of Acadia, but all returned to France in 1607 after French merchants challenged de Monts’ commercial monopoloy

• Settlers returned to Port Royal in 1610 and this time formed alliances with the two main Aboriginal peoples of Acadia, the Mi’kmaqs and the Maliseet

Port Royal

Port Royal

Founding of Acadia• In 1613 Acadia fell into possession of the

English for the first time and was known as Nova Scotia by 1621

• In 1632 possession of Acadia was returned to France by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye

• Renewed settlement took place under Governor Isaac de Razilly, who moved the capital from Port-Royal to La Hève, on the south shore of present-day Nova Scotia

• With its natural harbour and sheltered inlets, was a very good base for the fishing industry

• Company of 100 Associates believed that Acadia needed to be developed for economic prosperity; 300 men and 12 – 15 women arrived in 1632

Founding of Acadia

• Over the span of 100 years after Acadia’s founding the ownership of Acadia bounced back and forth between British and French rule

• Starting in the 1670s, colonists left Port-Royal to found other centres, the most important being Beaubassin (Amherst, Nova Scotia) and Grand-Pré (now Grand Pre, Nova Scotia)

Acadian Census

• The first official census, held in 1671, registered an Acadian population of more than 400 people, 200 of which lived in Port-Royal

• In 1701 there were about 1400; in 1711, some 2500; in 1750, over 10 000; and in 1755, over 13 000 (Louisbourg excluded)

Acadian Life• French-speaking Roman Catholics who mostly

arrived during the 17th century• As early as 1613 French missionaries

participated in the colonial venture• By the 1680s a few wooden churches with

resident priests were established• Friendly terms with Mi’kmaq First Nations –

there were over 3000 living in the area when the French first arrived

Acadian Life• Many of the Acadians were Tenant farmers, which gave them much

more freedom than the stricter Seigneurial system used in New France• A tenant farmer is one who resides on land owned by a landlord

• Tenant farming is an agricultural production system in which landowners contribute their land and often a measure of operating capital and management

• Tenant farmers contribute their labour and can make payments to the owner either of a fixed portion of the product

• These highly self-reliant Acadians farmed and raised livestock on marsh lands drained by a technique of tide-adaptable barriers called aboiteaux, making dikeland agriculture possible

• They hunted, fished and trapped as well

Acadian Farming and the Dykes• The Acadians devised a system of drainage ditches

combined with an ingenious one-way water gate called an aboiteau.

• The aboiteau was a hinged valve in the dyke which allowed fresh water to run off the marshes at low tide but which prevented salt water from flowing onto the dyked farmland as the tide rose.

• After letting snow and rain wash away the salt from the marshes for between two and four years the Acadians were left with fertile soil which yielded abundant crops.

Acadian Dykes

Acadian Trading • What they could not grow or make themselves

they referred to the trade links with New England and with other French settlements

• Trade with New England was illegal when France in control so smuggling occurred; encouraged when England in control – Molasses, cooking pots, board axes, clay pipes,

gunpowder, fabrics, and rum came through New England.

– Through Louisbourg they obtained cottons, thread, lace, firearms and religious items from France.

Acadian Trading

• The Acadians were fond of smoking• Made clay pipes• Using local red clay

• Acadians traded grains, cattle, and furs they

had obtained from trapping and trade with the Mi'kmaq.

Acadian Isolation• Acadia isolation from France required that the Acadian

people develop a sophisticated farming culture in order to survive on their own

• The preferred to have no strong ties to England or France and wanted to remain neutral in the many French/English conflicts

Acadian Community Life

• Strong sense of community and cooperation• It became an occasion for work, fun, food and

celebration. • Music on these occasions was often provided by fiddles

and jaw harps. • Dancing was a big part of social occasions.• Firm sense of religion. Dates for celebration in the

Catholic faith were extra special• They drank their own beer brewed from spruce or fir

tree extracts.

Final English Ownership of Acadia

• French and British allowed the Acadians to live in peace• During Queen Anne’s War, the North American theatre of

the War of Spanish Succession (1701-13), Port Royal was captured by the British in 1710

• At the conclusion of the War, the signing of the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) permanently transferred control of Acadia to the English and the region was named Nova Scotia

• Port Royal was renamed Annapolis Royal

• The Acadians lived successfully peacefully under British rule for 45 years

North America in 1713

Acadia and Louisbourg

• Following the loss of "Ancient Acadia", France concentrated on developing Île Saint-Jean (Prince Edward Island) and Île Royale (Cape Breton Island), two largely ignored regions until that time

• On Île Royale, Louisbourg was chosen as the new capital• Louisbourg had three roles:

• a new fishing post to replace Plaisance• a strong military presence• a centre for trade

• Île St-Jean was more looked upon as the agricultural extension of Île Royale

British, French & Acadians

• Acadian land shared by British & French• British thought that forcing the Acadians out would just add

to the population at Louisbourg making it more of a threat• Acadian farmers were also needed to provide subsistence for

the British garrison at Annapolis Royal• England demanded of its conquered subjects an oath of

unconditional loyalty, but the Acadians agreed only to an oath of neutrality and this was accepted

• The next 45 years are often referred to as Acadia’s Golden Age

The Expulsion

• BUT war loomed between French & British, Acadians caught in the middle

• British Governor Lawrence of Nova Scotia, no longer believing the oath of neutrality was enough, told Acadians they would have to swear an oath of loyalty to the British king

• Acadian settlers wanted to remain neutral

• In 1755 Governor Lawrence decided to act – he announced that Acadians would be forcibly removed from Nova Scotia, if refused to swear loyalty

• In end, all signed the oath unknowingly and were read the decree that they were to be deported

The Great Deportation

• British soldiers moved into Acadian villages• Acadian men, women and children were

herded to British ships, taking only what they could carry with them

• Families were separated• Houses and barns were burned to the ground• Total # deported = 10 000 Acadians• Also known as the expulsion

Where did they go?

• Ships carrying Acadians went to other British colonies, to assimilate the Acadians

• Ended up living in misery and poverty• Some fled to the woods and made their way

to Cape Breton (owned by French)• Some went south to Louisiana, descendants

now known as “Cajun”• Some ended up in France or Quebec

Fall of Louisbourg

• The Siege of Louisbourg was a pivotal battle of the Seven Years' War in 1758 that ended the French colonial era in Atlantic Canada

• Also led directly to the loss of Quebec in 1759 and the remainder of French North America the following year

• From Louisbourg, British forces spent the remainder of the year routing French forces and occupying French settlements in Atlantic Canada

• The second wave of the Acadian expulsion began

Summary Video:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnpW5IVyWtU