Acadia

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Kennebec River Map

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Madame La Tour Defending Fort St.Jean

Carte de l Acadie, Isle Royale, et pais voisins

1720 Chatelain Map of North America - Geographicus - Amerique-chatelain-1720

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Samuel Scott - Action Between Nottingham And Mars 1746

Acadia was a colony of New France in northeastern North America that included parts of eastern Quebec, the Maritime provinces, and modern-day Maine to the Kennebec River. During much of the 17th and early 18th centuries, Acadia was a frontier between two major colonial powers in North America: the British Empire and France. The area was originally inhabited by the Mi'kmaq people, and the term "Acadia" is derived from the Mi'kmaq word for "place", though other sources suggest it comes from the Greek arkadia, referring to an idyllic place of rural peace.

History

The history of Acadia was marked by several conflicts, including the French and Indian Wars, which were a series of military engagements between Britain and France in North America. The most notable of these conflicts for Acadia was the Expulsion of the Acadians in 1755, an event during the French and Indian War (the North American theater of the Seven Years' War), where thousands of Acadians were forcibly removed by the British. This event is commemorated in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's epic poem Evangeline, which tells the story of the diaspora of the Acadian people.

Geography

Acadia covered a large area from the Penobscot River in present-day Maine to the Restigouche River in what is now New Brunswick, including parts of the Gaspé Peninsula in Quebec. The region is characterized by its rugged coastline, fertile valleys, and dense forests, which were all significant to the Acadian way of life, especially in terms of agriculture and fishing.

Culture

The Acadian culture is a rich blend of French and Indigenous influences, with its own unique traditions, language (Acadian French), and music. One of the most significant cultural events in Acadia is the Tintamarre, a noisy parade held on National Acadian Day (August 15), where participants make as much noise as possible to celebrate Acadian identity and heritage.

Modern Acadia

Today, the legacy of Acadia lives on in the Maritime provinces of Canada, particularly in New Brunswick, which is officially bilingual and has a significant Acadian population. The Acadian World Congress is an event that brings together Acadians from around the world to celebrate their culture and heritage.

See Also

• Cajun
• Acadian French
• Expulsion of the Acadians
• History of the Acadians
• Acadian World Congress