Independence to Exile

The first French settlers of Port Royal arrived in 1636.

Port Royal area settlements stretched from The Basin of Annapolis River to the village of Paradise. The fort and area of Port Royal endured a century and a half of conflict between the French and English.

With fruitful farmsteads and good relations with the Mi’kMaq natives the settlers thrived. New generations of settlers started to settle around the Bay of Fundy and throughout Acadia, now Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. 

Centres of Acadian settlement before Le Grand Dérangement.

“Between 1755 and 1763, approximately 10,000 Acadians were deported. They were shipped to many points around the Atlantic. Large numbers were landed in the English colonies, others in France or the Caribbean. Thousands died of disease or starvation in the squalid conditions on board ship. To make matters worse, the inhabitants of the English colonies, who had not been informed of the imminent arrival of disease-ridden refugees, were furious. Many Acadians were forced to wander interminably in search of loved ones or a home.” https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-deportation-of-the-acadians-feature

Mapannapolis and it’s partners invite you to learn more about this defining event in Acadian history here.