| Though some Acadians remained
at their original exile destinations, there was a good bit of movement
from 1763 to 1785. They were trying to find a place where they could
be with family and friends and could obtain good farmland. |
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| 1763 to 1785 |
The areas of settlement in this time period
were covered in the Exile sections.
Most of the Acadians scattered about were assimilated into their surrounding
culture. This happened to hundreds of Acadians in the American colonies
and France, as well as the small pockets of Acadians who found themselves
elsewhere. In Canada, some blended into French Canada.
The Acadian identity managed to survive in
several areas of the Maritimes in Canada. Even though they have intermarried
with other nationalities, there are still a large number of people who
consider themselves Acadian (or of Acadian heritage). The resettlement
and development of Acadians in Canada is covered at Canadian
Acadians. Another Acadian location is the Madawaska area in New Brunswick and Maine. |
MIGRATIONS AND RETURN by Claude Picard
|
The Acadian identity also survived
in Louisiana, where the people became known as Cajuns. About 1500
Acadians made their way from the American colonies and Nova Scotia to Louisiana
in the 1760s (after the war was over). Also, about 1600 Acadians
who were in France sailed to Louisiana in 1785. The passenger
lists of the 7 ships that made that trip are located at this website.
The Acadians in Louisiana, who became known as Cajuns, became the dominant
culture in an area of south Louisiana still known as Acadiana. The
history of Acadians in Louisiana is covered at Cajun
history.
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| 1786 + |
Except for miscellaneous movements, the period
of Acadian migration was over. As the years went by, some Acadians
moved to and fro ... especially involving Canada, the Northeast U.S., Louisiana,
and France. The Acadians, who exhibited a propensity to staying put,
continued to stay put when they found a place where they could make a home
for their family. Some still moved, trying to find family and friends.
With the 20th century came a chance in philosophy. Jobs move, people
relocate often, and the Acadians now find their numbers scattered around
the world. The main method of identification continues to be their
names. Of course, it's not foolproof. Most Martins and Richards
in the world, for example, are not Acadian. Some names, however,
continue to bear strong links to their Acadian forebearers.
In 1881, the Acadians came together to conduct
their first convention. It addressed matters important to the Acadian
people. Over a dozen Acadian conventions were held over the next
100 years.
In 1994, the first Conres Mondial Acadien
was held and was attended by Acadians from around the world. The
second Congres Mondial Acadien was held
in Auguste 1999 in Louisiana. The third was held in Nova Scotia in 2004. A fourth was held in 2009 on the Acadian peninsula of New Brunswick [CMA 2009]. The fifth is planned for the Madawaska area around northern main and northwestern New Brunswick. |
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