Expulsion of the Acadians (aug 10, 1755 – jul 11, 1764)
Description:
Some British but mostly French citizens crossed over the Atlantic and settled in Acadia which is known today as Nova Scotia. As the furthest south eastern land mass of todays Canada, it poses several benefits like much more coastal fishing area, usability of the Bay of Fundy and the obvious one being able to load and unload cargo from ships making the voyage across the sea. It is because of these desired attributes that there was a lot of back and forth debate and land battles between the French and British along the east coast. The 1713 Treaty of Utrecht “increased the British stake in North America with the gain of Nova Scotia and the acceptance of the British position on Newfoundland and around Hudson's Bay.”1 The treaty also allowed and even urged for the Acadians to move to other places in New France because the increase in the French population over the English would mean that they are more vulnerable to any future attacks.
Although it was unfortunate for the thousands of Acadians that were forced to move elsewhere, this marks an important moment in Canada’s history because without expelling them and Britain pushing hard to gain full sovereignty of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland it may very well have stayed in French possession or had been sold to the United States.
1. Black, Jeremy. “Recasting the New World: Britain and the Treaties of 1713 and 1763.” Historically speaking 14, no. 3 (2013): 29 http://muse.jhu.edu/
Added to timeline:
Important events leading up to the Canadian Confederation
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