Acadian History Timeline
1604 First colonization attempt on Ile Saint-Croix (St. Croix Island, New Brunswick, just south of St. Stephen)
1605 Port Royal, which will become the major town of Acadia, is settled
1607 Champlain discovers Iron Cross at Partridge Island indicating earlier European Settlement
1607 Port Royal colony abandoned by French
1608 Chanplain founds Quebec
1610 Poutrincourt re-establishes Port Royal
1613 Port Royal looted and burned by pirate Captain Argyle from Virginia
1613-1618 Cape Forche colony founded by Lomeron (french)
1628 Cape Forchu (near Yarmouth) sacked and burned by New Englanders
1628 Charles and Claude LaTour build a fort (Fort St. Louis) and settlement at Cape Sable (french)
1628 David Kirk captures 18 French vessels and Claude LaTour
1628 David Kirk captures Quebec for Britian. All of Nova Scotia and Quebec fall under English rule except Fort St. Louis
1629 Three ships with Scotish settlers arrive at Port Royal in July
1630 English and Claude LaTour attack Fort St. Louis under Charles LaTour
1632 Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye returns Quebec and Nova Scotia to France
1632 King of England forces Scots to abandon settlement at Port Royal. Settlement is turned over to the French
1632 Sieur de Razilly builds a settlement at Lahave (french)
1632 Isaac de Razilly arrives with 300 settlers, ancestors of most Acadian families
1635 Sieur de Razilly dies, Sieur d'Aulnay replaces de Razilly, Port Royal is moved across the river
1636 The St. Jehan arrives with settlers, including men and women
1643 D'Aulnay destroys Charles La Tour's Fort St. Louis
1643 Fort Anne built at new Port Royal site
1645 D'Aulnay destroys Charles La Tour's fort in St. John and New Brunswick. La Tour's wife dies after battle
1650 D'Aulnay dies in mysterious canoeing accident with an Indian guide
1651 Charles La Tour replaces D'Aulnay
1653 Charles La Tour marries D'Aulnay's widow and takes control of Acadia
1654 Captain Sedwidge with Orders from Oliver Cromwell, lord protector of England, captures Port Royal
1655 Port Royal is captured by British forces
1656 Charles La Tour (now British) is granted rights to Nova Scotia
1667 King Charles II of England gives Port Royal to France
1671 The earliest surviving Acadian census is taken. The total count comes to 340 people
1672 Beaubassin, a town in northern Acadia, is founded
1682 Grand Pre', another major Acadian community, is founded
1687 A church is built at Grand Pre'
1690 Sir William Phips captures Port Royal on May 11
1697 The Treaty of Ryswick restores all captured territory between France and England
1698 French fishing station established on McNabs Island, Halifax Harbour
1699 Fishing station on McNabs Island abandoned
1701 The Acadian town of Petitcodiac is founded
1704 Another census finds a population of 1450 Acadians
1708 With the onset of Queen Anne's War, hostilities with the English restart
1709 Port Royal is attacked twice by New England
1710 Francis Nicholson captures Port Royal for England and is renamed Annapolis Royal
1711 Nova Scotia British troops are massacred by Acadians and Indians
1713 Acadia is "permanently" given to the British after the Treaty of Utrecht
1737-1757 The diseases brought by sailors & settlers were passed to the MicMac & settlers. More than three quarters of the Mic Mac perished because of the ensuing plagues after contact with the Europeans
1745 Louisbourg falls to British forces from New England
1746 Duc d'Anville with 70 ships and over 10,000 men leaves France to retake Louisbourg, Annapolis Royal and to sack New England. Fleet was to rendevous with French ships from the west Indies and rangers and Indians from Quebec. The fleet was decimated by repeated storms and disease. The fleet arrived three months after it left France. Duc d'Anville died from medicene taken to relieve the symptoms caused by a brain tumor. Many perished in Bedford basin, much of the remainder of the fleet was destroyed by bad weather on the way back to France. Several ships proceeded to Annapolis but decided not to attack because of the presence of British Men O'War
1747 Troops from New England massacred at Grand Pre'
1748 Louisbourg is returned to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappelle
1749 Halifax, Nova Scotia is founded by Edward Cornwallis. The capitol of Nova Scotia is transferred to Halifax
1749 2576 settlers are brought to Acadia by the British. Wood cutters are massacred by French led Indian raids (first Darmouth massacre)
1750 Darmouth, Nova Scotia is founded
1753 George Washington is defeated by the French at the Monogahela River
1754 French and Indian War starts in North America. War is not declared in Europe for another two years
1755 French fleet of 4000 men engaged and scattered on the Grand Banks by the British fleet under captured ships Alcide and Lys found to contain 10,000 scalping knives for Acadians and Indians under Mic Mac Chief Cope and Acadian Beausoleil
1755 Fort Beausejour falls to British. The fort is renamed Fort Cumberland
1755 Governor Lawrence of Halifax and Colonel Winslow of Massachusetts deport (exile) Nova Scotia Acadians throughout the civilized world after the Acadians repeatedly fail to comply government decrees. Over 6000 Acadians are deported the first year
1756 Beginning of the Seven Years War in Europe. Marquis de Montcalm put in charge of the defense of French possessions in North America
1757 Army of 12,000 officers and men under Lord Louden assemble in Halifax to retake Louisbourg The attack was cancelled after false information about the strength of Louisbourg fell into British hands
1757 Battle of Bloody Creek between French and Indians
1758 The Acadians who fled to Ile St. Jean and Ile Royal are rounded up and sent to France. The British under General Wolfe and Amherst recapture Louisbourg
1759 Wolfe takes Quebec. Wolfe and Moncalm are killed in the fifteen minute battle
1760 Montreal falls to the British
1763 The war between the French and English is over, Treaty of Paris. France cedes its' North American possessions to England except for the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon
1765 The first Acadiansbegin to arrive in Louisiana
1773 A census is taken in France that finds 2370 Acadians currently living there
1785 Spain provides 7 ships to carry over 1600 Acadians from France to Louisiana
1867 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec united by the British North American Act.
1881 First Acadian Convention establishes August 15th as National Acadian Day
1884 Second Acadian Convention, an Acadian flag, and a National anthem are adopted
1994 First Acadian World Congres was held in Moncton, New Brunswick