Why did acadians come to canada

Nonetheless, Acadians have strived to protect their language and identity throughout time. In , the cartographer Bolongnino Zaltieri gave a similar name, "Larcadia," to an area far to the northeast of present-day Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The first French colonists did not arrive, however, until under the leadership of Pierre du Gua de Monts and Samuel de Champlain.

The winter of — was disastrous, scurvy killing at least 36 men. The next year the colony looked for a new site and chose Port-Royal. When some French merchants challenged his commercial monopoly, de Monts took everyone back to France in ; French colonists did not return until Other factors also stifled Acadia's development. In , Samuel Argall, an adventurer from Virginia, seized Acadia and chased out most of its settlers. In , the government renamed Acadia to Nova Scotia.

In , he also allowed the Scottish settlers of Sir William Alexander to move in. Alexander's project of Scottish expansion was cut short in by the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye , which allowed France to regain Acadia.

He arrived in with " gentlemen of quality. French missionaries participated in the colonial venture as early as By the s, a few wooden churches with resident priests were established. D'Aulnay moved the capital back to Port-Royal, then proceeded to wage a civil war against La Tour, who was solidly established in the region.

D'Aulnay was convinced that the colony's future lay in agricultural development which would provide a stable food supply and population. Before his death in , D'Aulnay was responsible for the arrival of some 20 families. With the arrival of more families, agricultural production was stabilized while adequate food and clothing became available.

French-English enmity once again affected Acadia's fate, causing it to be conquered by the English in The region was, however, given back to France through the Treaty of Breda In , the colony was taken by the New England adventurer Sir William Phips and once again returned to France again through the Treaty of Ryswick The first official census, held in , registered an Acadian population of more than people, of which lived in Port-Royal.

In there were about 1,; in , some 2,; in , over 10,; and in , over 13, Louisbourg excluded. These highly self-reliant Acadians farmed and raised livestock on marsh lands. The Acadians drained the marshes using a technique of tide-adaptable barriers called aboiteaux , thus making agriculture possible.

They hunted, fished, and trapped. Acadians considered themselves "neutral" since Acadia had been transferred a few times between the French and the English. By not taking sides, they hoped to avoid military backlash. Peninsular Acadia was not the only region with a French population along the Atlantic. In the s, France established a fishing colony at Plaisance now Placentia , Newfoundland. In both regions the French population appeared to enjoy a fairly high standard of living. Easy access to land and the absence of strict regulations allowed the Acadians to lead a relatively autonomous existence.

At the end of the 17th century aboriginal peoples exerted considerable influence on the Acadians due to their knowledge of the woods and the land. Following the War of Spanish Succession — , Acadia fell under British rule for the final time. Through the Treaty of Utrecht , Plaisance was ceded along with the territory which consisted of "Acadia according to its ancient boundaries.

For the French, the territory only included the present peninsular Nova Scotia. These two regions had been until then largely ignored. Louisbourg had three roles: a new fishing post to replace Plaisance; a strong military presence; and a centre for trade.

The Treaty of Utrecht theoretically allowed for the Acadians to move to other French colonies. The Acadians, however, showed little desire in doing so. Instead, they interfered in the process. Acadian farmers were also needed to provide subsistence for the garrison. Except for the garrison at Port-Royal, the British made virtually no further attempt at colonization until The colony was also once again renamed to Nova Scotia.

From to , the small English presence and a long peace allowed the Acadian population to grow at a rapid pace. To some historians, it is considered Acadia's "Golden Age. Britain demanded that its conquered subjects swear an oath of unconditional loyalty. The Acadians, however, agreed only to an oath of neutrality. Unable to impose the unconditional oath, Governor Richard Philipps gave his verbal agreement to this semi-allegiance in — In , during the War of the Austrian Succession , Louisbourg fell to an English expeditionary force whose land army was largely composed of New England colonists.

However, France regained the fortress through the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle , to the great displeasure of the New England colonies. It was in this context that Britain decided to make the Nova Scotian territory "truly" British.

In , the capital was moved from Annapolis Royal to Halifax. Intended to serve as both a military and a commercial counterweight to Louisbourg, Halifax was selected because it was a better seaport and was far from the Acadian population centres. Britain finally took steps to bring its own settlers into the colony. During the early s, almost three hundred French immigrants arrived in the Port-Royal area.

With a high birth rate and low infant mortality, the population reached approximately people in , 1, in , and about 13, people in the early s. The population depended on mixed farming, raising livestock and crops from dyked marshes. At the Treaty of Utrecht in , much of the area settled by the Acadians was transferred to the British who called the territory Nova Scotia. During the early eighteenth century , the French and the British consolidated their respective positions in Acadia and Nova Scotia.

Concerned at the large Acadian presence in the hinterland of Halifax and aware that many Acadians had refused to swear loyalty to the British crown, the military governor of Nova Scotia took the fateful decision to clear the Acadians from their settlements. The deportation of the Acadians began in the fall of and lasted until The first removals, comprising approximately people, were from settlements around the Bay of Fundy.

Those who had sought refuge in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon were also removed. Farms and businesses were destroyed.

Acadians were shipped to many points around the Atlantic. Large numbers were deported to the continental colonies, others to France. Some managed to escape to New France Quebec. Many of these main events are introduced by an audiovisual overview, enlivened by narration, sound effects and music.

This was the first digital, multimedia history of Canada. It started out as a laserdisc in and the CD-ROM version has been used in schools across the country. It has been approved as a curriculum-supporting resource by provincial and territorial ministries of education. This online, public domain site is the fifth edition of the project. Home About Site Map Contact. Political Evolution in B.