1755: THE GREAT UPHEAVAL BEGINS

Written by: Laura Pellerin

A devastating chapter in Acadian history began when British authorities ordered the removal of Acadians from their homes in Nova Scotia and surrounding areas. The event became known as Le Grand Dérangement, or the Great Upheaval. For generations, Acadian families had built farms, communities, churches, and lives in the region, but growing tensions between Britain and France placed them in an increasingly uncertain position.

British officials demanded that Acadians take an unconditional oath of allegiance to the British Crown. Many Acadians were reluctant to do so because they wished to remain neutral in the continuing conflicts between Britain and France. The British government eventually decided that the Acadians posed a potential security threat and began forcibly removing them from their communities.

Families were separated, homes and farms were abandoned or destroyed, and thousands of Acadians were placed aboard ships and transported to distant destinations. Some were sent to the British colonies along the Atlantic coast, while others were taken to France, the Caribbean, and other parts of the Americas. The deportation was chaotic and extremely difficult, and many Acadians died from disease, poor conditions, and the hardships of displacement.

The Great Upheaval scattered the Acadian population across a wide geographic area, but it did not destroy their cultural identity. Families carried their French language, Catholic faith, traditions, stories, and customs with them. Over time, some Acadians returned to the Maritime region, while others continued searching for a permanent home.

For the Acadians who eventually traveled to Louisiana, the events of 1755 became the beginning of a new chapter. Their descendants would adapt their traditions to the environment and diverse population of south Louisiana, contributing to the development of the culture that would become known as Cajun. The Great Upheaval remains a defining event in Cajun history because it transformed the Acadian people from established communities in the north into a widely dispersed people whose descendants would help shape Louisiana's cultural identity.

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Griffiths, Naomi E. S. From Migrant to Acadian: A North American Border People, 1604–1755. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2005.

Hebert, Tim. “Acadians.” The Canadian Encyclopedia, Historica Canada, 6 Feb. 2006.

Sabatier, Thomas J. The Acadian Exiles in the American Colonies. Louisiana State University Press, 1972.

Image: Artist Henry Sandham, 1880