On this day in 1755, the French surrendered Fort Beauséjour to the British, leading to the expulsion of the Acadians (Le Grand Dérangement)). Acadia was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. Acadia was not under the political control of New France and the Acadians frequently found themselves caught in the middle between the English and the French. The English suspected that the Acadians were helping the French and, when the opportunity presented itself, they forcefully deported approximately 11,500 Acadians from the maritime region. Approximately one-third perished from disease and drowning.
After being expelled to France, many Acadians were eventually recruited by the Spanish government to migrate to Luisiana (present-day Louisiana). These Acadians settled into or alongside the existing Louisiana Creole settlements, sometimes intermarrying with Creoles, and gradually developed what became known as Cajun culture.
Deportation of the Acadians By Henri Beau – ameriquefrancaise.org
Florida People…
Waiting for my doctor to prescribe hot dogs…
Today is the birthday, in 1958, of Patrick Waite, Musical Youth, best remembered for their successful 1982 single ‘Pass the Dutchie’, which became a No.1 hit around the world. It was a cover version of two songs: ‘Gimme the Music’ by U Brown, and ‘Pass the Kouchie’ by Mighty Diamonds, which deals with the recreational use of cannabis (kouchie being slang for a cannabis pipe). Waite died on 13th February 1993. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsyUa63NM1E
Comments