Presentation Transcript

1. Chapter 5—War and Peace

   Social Studies 7
2. Conflict in Acadia Acadia was among the first regions in North America to be settled by Europeans—Samuel de Champlain and the French’s first attempts at colonization at Port Royal failed, but the region was eventually permanently settled as New France was established. Acadians developed an identity separate from the rest of New France for several reasons:
3. Conflict in Acadia Geography—Acadia was fairly far away from the rest of the settlements in New France—several hundred kilometers, in fact. Economics—Acadians relied more on agriculture than the fur trade for their economy: the region was fairly fertile, and the limited space and wilderness meant lower wildlife populations. Acadians were farmers, New France canadiens were fur traders. Unstable rule—The territory frequently changed hands: being at a strategic geographic point, as well as good farmland, it was fought over, lost, and won several times by the British and French throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. This separation from their fellow countrymen caused them to band together in the region.
4. Conflict in Acadia
5. The British in Acadia By 1710, Acadia was under British control. Britain renamed the colony “Nova Scotia,” but mostly allowed Acadians to stay on their land, in their settlements, and keep their way of life. Acadian communities and citizens were mostly French-speaking Catholics, while the British were English-speaking and mostly Protestant.
6. The British in Acadia Britain saw Nova Scotia as potential farmland and real estate for residents of the crowded Thirteen Colonies (as well as new British immigrants). The governor of Nova Scotia, Charles Lawrence, made two important observations: 1. Most of the best farmland in the region was occupied by Acadian farmers. 2. The Acadians spoke French. British enemies in New France spoke French. Therefore, the Acadians might sympathize with or even help the French in the coming war.
7. The British in Acadia In 1755, Lawrence gave the Acadians an ultimatum—a threat with serious consequences—that the Acadians either swear loyalty to the British crown, or lose their land. The Acadians did not want a part in this war. They were not British, and were not French: they were Acadian. They promised not to fight against the British, but not to take the oath and swear loyalty.
8. The Great Deportation Lawrence felt that he had found proof of Acadian disloyalty in 1755. When British troops attacked and captured Fort Beausejour from the French, they found over 300 armed Acadians among the defence.
9. The Great Deportation Lawrence then gave the order to expel or displace all Acadians from the region: “The French inhabitants of the province shall be removed out of the country as soon as possible.” All Acadians were removed from their homes at gunpoint, and many homes, churches, and settlements were burned to the ground. They were sent usually either to the New England colonies, England, back to France, or British holdings in the Caribbean. Many escaped into the wilderness, to New France, or to the French territory in New Orleans, Louisiana.
10. The Great Deportation
11. The Great Depression Estimates place the number of deported Acadians between 7000 and 10 000, and many did not survive the journey—dying of disease, starvation, drowning, or violence at the hands of British soldiers.
12. The Great Deportation Eventually, after the end of the war in 1763, Acadians were allowed to return to their homes in Nova Scotia. Today, the region is home to over 300 000 French-speaking Acadians, making New Brunswick the only officially bilingual province in Canada. Acadians have a culture, identity, language, and even a flag that sets them apart from all other Canadians—even other French Canadians in Quebec. Think—do you know an Acadian?