| People who know me
well know that I am a proud Acadian. So who are the Acadians and what was Acadia?
Well, simply put, Acadians were/are residents of Acadia, and Acadia
(Acadie) was the first
non-native nation in North America. In 1605, French settlers arrived in
Canada and settled
on the shores of the Bay of Fundy in what is now Nova Scotia. They quickly spread
throughout the region which today is known as Canada's Maritime Provinces (Nova Scotia,
New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). For over a century, they enjoyed a peaceful
lifestyle, surviving on agriculture and fishing. Acadia became very prosperous and its
population grew significantly. By the late 1600's, census lists show surnames of Baudoin,
Bertrand, Bourg (Bourque), Breaux, Comeau, Doucet (Doucette, Dorsett), Dubois, Giruard,
Hebert, Landry, LeBlanc, Leger (Légère), Marceaux, Picard, Primeau, Richard, Robicheau,
Simon, Terriau (Theriot, Therriault), Trahan, and Thibeaudeau. By the mid 1700's, they had
developed their own culture with a distinct language, and dress, as well as their own
customs, and a thriving economy where they had strong trade with England, France, and
native Indians alike. Up from the approximately 100 families of 150 years earlier, the
Acadians numbered nearly 10 thousand.
Meanwhile, the British were struggling with France for control over North America, and
France left Acadia to fend for itself as an independent people. Though they were once French citizens and their
language was a dialect of French, they remained neutral in the
wars between the British and the French, which became a cause for concern to
both sides. In the Treaty of Utrecht of 1713, King Louis XIV of France ceded all of Nova
Scotia (Acadia) to the British crown. Over the next several years, the British began its
persecution of the Acadians for possessing a different culture, language, religion, and
national origin.
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