To the Acadians it was known as "Le Grande Dérangement". It was the expulsion of the majority of Acadians from the Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Approximately 11,500 of the 14,100 Acadians in the region were forcibly removed and transported to the US (then known as the "Thirteen Colonies"), the Caribbean, Britain and France.
The deportation began in 1755 at the time of the Seven Years' War between England and France. Though the majority of Acadians pronounced themselves to be neutral with regard to the war, their refusal to pledge allegiance to Britain was, to the British, justification for their removal. The expulsion resulted in the death of thousands of the Acadians from disease and drowning when ships were lost. At the end of the war the Acadians were allowed to return, which many did. As a result, each of the Maritime provinces has its Acadian regions scattered about, most of them at the sites of original Acadian settlement.
THE DEPORTATION OF THE INHABITANTS OF
ILE SAINT-JEAN
Undertaken here in 1758, this expulsion was one of the largest and the deadliest of the Acadian deportations that took place between 1755 and 1762. As part of a strategy to dismantle the French colony of Ile Saint-Jean during the Seven Years' War, the British forcibly transported more than 3,000 inhabitants to France. Over half died due to shipwreck or disease. Around 1,100 inhabitants evaded deportation, a few going into hiding on the island and many more finding refuge in nearby French territory. Today, Prince Edward Island's Acadian culture and French language testify to the resolve of all Acadians who settled here after the war.
From the CNHE Plaque