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excerpts from
The True Story of the Acadians
by Dudley J. Leblanc
pg 21
…The Acadiens (at Port Royal) suffered ten attacks in 100 years and
six within 20 years…(this) caused them to be so watchful that upon the
mere arrival of a vessel in the harbor, the women fled to the woods for
refuge among the friendly Micmac Indians (Mi’kmaq).
Pg 24 – 26
Chapter 5
Acadia Ceded to England
The surrender of Port Royal to Nicholson by de Subercase was signed October
13, 1710.
The war of the Spanish Succession (1700 -13) between France and England
continued for nearly three years after the surrender of Port Royal.
Finally, on April 11, 1713, a treaty of Peace was signed between King
Louis XIV of France and Queen Ann of England. Though this treaty, which
is called theTtreaty of Utrecht, preserved the honor of France, it sacrificed
Acadia to England and provided that:
"Such of the inhabitants as are willing to stay in Acadia and be
subject to Great Britain shall remain in unhindered possession of their
lands, and shall enjoy the free exercise of their religion according to
the usage of the Church of Rome, as far as the laws of Britain do allow
same, but those who choose may, within a year, remove from the province
with effects, forfeiting, however, their lands."
…since the laws of Great Britain did not permit the exercise of the
Catholic religion, the Acadians would be prevented from following their
religion.
A few days after the signing of the Treaty (April 11, 1713), Queen Anne
having learned that, at her request, the King of France had given freedom
to prisoners taken into the galleys for causes of religion, wished to
show him her appreciation by granting to the French inhabitants of Nova
Scotia more favourable conditions than those that had been stipulated
in the treaty.
She therefore, had a letter addressed to general Nicholson, Governor
of Nova Scotia, in which letter she gave him the following orders:
"We, being willing to show by some mark of our favor towards his
subjects how kind we take his compliance therein, have therefore thought
fit hereby to signify our will and pleasure to you, that you permit such
of them as have any lands or tenements in the places under our Government
in Acadia, that have been or are to be yielded to us by virtue of the
late treaty of peace, and are willing to continue our subjects, to retain
and enjoy their said lands and tenements without any molestation, as fully
and freely as other our subjects do or may possess thier lands or estates,
or to sell the same, if they shall rather choose to remove elsewhere.
And for doing so this shall be your warrant.
By Her Majesty’s Command, Dartmouth"
…
The Acadiens were steadily moving to the French settlements in Canada
and… (Cape Breton) Ile Royal , when the English Governor realized…The
few English colonists would have been helpless and impoverished without
the natives (Acadians) and their possessions. The Acadians were, therefore
prevented from further evacuation of the territory. Attempts were made
to force them to take the oath of British allegiance…
At the taking of port Royal, Colonel Vetch had been appointed lieutenant-governor…
…
The Acadians had made known their desire to leave within the year limit
as perscribed in the Treaty.
Colonel Vetch opposed this under the pretext that he was only lieutenant-governor,
and that they would have to wait for the arrival of Governor Nicholson.
He arrived only the following summer, when the year stipulated by the
treaty had just expired.
(The Acadians draft a plea to the Queen dated August 29, 1714 – The Queen
Died August 1, 1714)
…
They (the Acadians) felt so certain that justice would be shown them,
and that their departure could be affected in the course of the following
summer (1715), that many did not even sow their lands in the spring. …
Excerpt From:
The True Story of the Acadians
by Dudley J. Leblanc
(Originally Printed – Les Presses de la Republique de la Nouvelle_France,
Ltd., 1937)
Reprinted 1998 by Quintin Publications, Inc. Pawtucket, Rhode Island
HRL 971.5 L445t
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