History of the Acadians in North America

The Acadian Village in Van Buren, Maine, is the largest Acadian Village in the United States outside of Louisiana. The Village commemorates the culture and heritage of the Acadians in seventeen buildings, seven of which are historic. The buildings depict traditional Acadian construction techniques and contain a variety of artifacts. The oldest building dates to the late 1700s. The Village is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Village is open to visitors every summer from mid-June to mid-September, seven days a week from noon to 5:00 pm.

Acadia was the name the original French explorers gave to northeastern North America from the time of the earliest French settlement (1604) at the mouth of the St. Croix River. French settlers from coastal provinces settled in large numbers in current day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and parts of Maine. By the mid 1600s, military control of Acadia started swinging back and forth between France and Great Britain. During the French and Indian War (1755-63), Great Britain wanted to solidify its control over Acadia. It demanded that Acadian settlers in the Maritime Provinces swear allegiance to the Crown. On their refusal, Acadians were loaded onto British ships and deported, their homes and property forfeited. Many families were separated, never to reunite. Le Grand Derangement (Expulsion), deported over 10,000 Acadians. The death rate of the deportees was very high. Some returned to Europe. Others settled along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Some evaded the British altogether. Many found a new home in Louisiana, where the name Acadian was modified to Cajun. The Expulsion was immortalized in Longfellow’s epic poem, “Evangeline”, which tells the story of the expulsion from one village through the perspective of the fictional characters Evangeline and her fiance, Gabriel.   

With the cessation of the French and Indian War, many Acadians settled along the lower St. John River, near Fredericton, New Brunswick. They had good relationships with the indigenous tribes, often intermarrying. That area became crowded during the American Revolution (1775-1783), as Loyalists left the U.S. and resettled in New Brunswick. By the late 1700s, new land along the upper St. John River (upstream of Grand Falls, NB) became available for settlement and many Acadians moved upstream and settled on both sides of the River. The border between the U.S. and Great Britain (later, Canada) was not settled until 1842.   

Today, there are numerous Acadian towns in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Maine and Louisiana. There is great pride in identifying as Acadian, and being able to honor the history, culture and language.