Before the English settled in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607 or the Dutch settled near Albany, New York in 1615, a group of French-speaking, Catholic settlers established a settlement in Nova Scotia in 1605.
By 1755, nearly 15,000 Acadians lived in Acadia.
Christopher Hodson, an Associate Professor of history at Brigham Young University and the author of The Acadian Diaspora, joins us to investigate the lives of these early North American colonists and how the British government came to displace them through a forced migration in 1755.
About the Show
Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.
It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.
Each episode features a conversation with a historian who helps us shed light on important people and events in early American history.
Ben Franklin’s World is a production of the Omohundro Institute.
Episode Summary
Christopher Hodson, an Associate Professor of history at Brigham Young University and the author of The Acadian Diaspora, joins us to investigate the lives of the Acadians and how the British government came to displace them through a forced migration in 1755.
During our investigation, Chris reveals who the Acadians were and how they came to settle in North America; Details about how the Acadians lived, farmed, and traded while in Acadia; And, why the British government forcibly relocated the Acadians after 1755 and information about some of the places the displaced Acadians landed.
What You’ll Discover
- The Acadians, origins and North American settlement
- The Bay of Fundy
- Acadian farming and land reclamation techniques
- Acadian trade with Massachusetts
- Acadians and the imperial rivalries of the Atlantic World
- Acadian population figures
- Acadian village structure
- Nova Scotia and the Seven Years’ War
- The British invasion of the Bay of Fundy (1755)
- Why the British expelled the Acadians from Nova Scotia
- The British process for removing the Acadians from Nova Scotia
- Resettlement of the Acadians
- How Acadians experienced their expulsion
- How and why France and Great Britain came to seek the Acadians as colonists
- Why France sent Acadians to Kuru and the Falkland Islands
- Acadians in Louisiana
- How Acadians established new communities in new places
- Historical treatment of the Acadians
Meet Ups & Talks
- Albany, New York: April 25 at the New York State Cultural Education Center. Meet up at pre-talk reception.
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: April 29, 6pm at Zaffiro’s PizzaÂ
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: April 30, 6pm free public talk at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Golda Meir Library
Links to People, Places, and Publications
Sponsor Links
Complementary Episodes
- Episode 064: Brett Rushforth, Native American Slavery in New France
- Episode 085: Bonnie Huskins, American Loyalists in Canada
- Episode 108: Ann Little, The Many Captivities of Esther Wheelwright
- Episode 167: The Early History of New Orleans
- Episode 189: Sam White, The Little Ice Age 

Time Warp Question
In your opinion, what might have happened if the geopolitics of the eighteenth century had been different and the Acadians had been allowed to stay in Nova Scotia after 1755?
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