July 10, 2024
Drove by the dykes to Grand-Pré National Historic Site
Acadians are primarily descended from approximately 50 southwestern French families who settled in the Port-Royal area 1636 - 1650s. Nova Scotia and Atlantic Provinces were caught in the various wars between the French, British, and the American colonies for years. The Acadians always declared neutrality and traded with all parties, but in 1755 the British, not trusting their neutrality, decided that those who refused to swear unconditional allegiance to the Crown were to be expelled. More than 10,000 Acadians were dispersed throughout the American colonies, England, and France. Several ships of the expelled sank, killing all aboard. Some in the American colonies made their way to the Spanish Catholic colony of Louisiana. At the end of the Seven Years War with France some of the expelled returned to join the small number of who had hidden and escaped expulsion and rebuilt their Acadian community.
Grand Pré
Henry Wordsworth Longfellow’s poem Evangeline brought the plight of the Acadians into popular culture and sympathy
Statue of Evangeline and the Memorial Church
Statue of Longfellow
The site of the Acadian cemetery of the Grand-Pré parish of Saint-Charles-des-Mines. The stones are from foundations found in the area.
An aboiteau used to reclaim salt marshes. Earthen dykes were built with an aboiteau - a wooden sluice built into the dyke with a clapet, or wooden valve, that was closed by the pressure of the sea water.
Evangeline Beach at low tide
Sweet window
Next was Blomiden Provincial Park and Cape Split. We arrived just as the fog was rolling in and the ability to see across the bay become nil.
Stopped in Hall’s Harbour for lobster and fish and chips
Settled in for the night
No comments:
Post a Comment