The Grand Dérangement (Great Acadian Upheaval) - Halifax, NS, Canada
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 44° 38.598 W 063° 34.058
20T E 454985 N 4943483
A monument provides a map and explanation of the The Grand Dérangement or Great Acadian Upheaval that occurred in Nova Scotia in the 18th century. It is located along the Harborwalk in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Waymark Code: WMP33B
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Date Posted: 06/21/2015
Views: 21
The British conquered Acadia, present day Nova Scotia, in 1710. The subsequent Treaty of Utrecht of 1713 allowed the Acadians to keep their lands. Over the next forty-five years tension between the French speaking Acadians and their British rulers increased until in 1755, the British began a systematic deportation of the Acadians. This became known as The Grand Dérangement or Great Acadian Upheaval.
A monument in Halifax Harbor provided a map of the deportation/migration routes of the Acadians and explains the series of events that occurred in Nova Scotia in the 18th century. The monument was designed to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Deportation. The Grand Dérangement is explained in both French and English plaques.
The English version is inscribed:
L'Acadie, established by France in 1604, was a
stragecially located and highly coveted colony. In 1713,
it was handed over to England and renamed Nova Scotia.
The foundation of Halifax, in 1749, led part of the
Acadian population to move to French territory. The
remaining Acadians were still perceived as a threat, and in
1755, the British authorities launched their systematic
deportation, splitting up families and communities, seizing
all lands and possessions.
This was the Grand Dérangement, of Great Upheaval.
Nearly 10,000 men, women and children were piled into ships
and deported to the Anglo-American colonies, to England and
to French territory and forming a resistance. Over the next ten
years, almost half of the Acadian nation was lost at sea of died
from disease and famine. By 1765, a mere 1,600 survivors
remained in Nova Scotia, their fertile land now occupied by
settlers from other areas.
Some Acadian families returned to their former homes, but most
never again set eyes on Acadie. Many took root in Quebec and
France, while in Louisiana they gave rise to a new community that
produced the rich Cajun culture. Yet, the Grand Dérangement was unable to wipe out the Acadian presence on its native soil. L'Acadie
lives on in Atlantic Canada, speaking French and offering to the world
its proud and dynamic culture.