It was Acadie - not Acadia. The Acadians were French and never referred to their homeland as Acadia. It was always Acadie.
The Acadians are the only people to settle America and to form a symbiotic relationship with the Native Americans (the Mi'kmaq) in which both sides helped each other to a limited extent and did not use the same land. The Acadians never attacked or fought the Mi'kmaq and, until the mid-1750s, never had any difficult times with the Mi'kmaq. In the 1750s Abbé LeLoutre had the Mi'kmaq force the Acadians of Beaubassin to move to Fort Beausejour in New Brunswick by burning the Acadian homes. Abbé LeLoutre also threatened the Acadians of Merligueche and perhaps other villages with attack by the Mi'kmaq if the Acadians did not move to French territory.
The Acadians were the only people in North America (except the Native Americans) to form a nation and culture after they reached North America. The Acadian culture was unique to North America. Other groups simply settled in North America and kept their European, African, Asian, etc. identity. A United State Federal Court case concerned ethnic slurs, etc. against Calvin Roach by bosses and other employees because he was Cajun. The judge ruled that place of origin (not country of origin/sovereign nation) was critical. Characteristics of importance were physical (appearance), cultural and linguistic (accent) to establishing nation and culture. [Calvin Roach vs. Dresser Industries - Valve & Instrument Division; 1977; Civil Action No. 78-0157, LWD La. 1980; Under Title VII - National Origins]
The Acadians were the first non-native group of people in North America to undergo ethnic cleansing. The deportation by the British was illegal in that they were British citizens since 1713 and thus were required to have a trial in which they could plead their case before being deported. That never happened. Under British law families did not suffer the sins of the father. (You could not deport the whole family for the “errors” of one person.) Whole families of Acadians were deported from their Acadian homes to points unknown to them and all their possessions including their homes, lands, crops, livestock, furniture and clothing were stolen from them by the British.
From 1713 Nova Scotia proper was owned by the British and, therefore, the Acadians deported from Nova Scotia in the 1750s and 1760s were British citizens and had to be sent to British territory. They were deported to the British colonies on the eastern seaboard of the Atlantic. The Acadians deported to Virginia came from Nova Scotia and were British citizens; therefore, when Virginia rejected them, they were sent to England. Ile Royale and Ile Saint-Jean were French territories and thus Acadians deported from these islands were French citizens and had to be sent to France or French territories. They were sent in 1758-1759 to France.
First grant of Religious Liberty in North America given to Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts (a Protestant) in 1603 by Henry IV of France through a patent to cover the territory of Acadia. It comprised both Catholics and Protestants. De Monts first settled at St. Croix. (American Catholic Historical Researches; Vol. 9 No. 1; Jan 1909; p. 13)
In Maryland there was liberty for the Protestants and toleration for the Catholics. In Pennsylvania there was liberty for all. The law was against Catholics in Maryland; the law was for Catholics in Pennsylvania. (American Catholic Historical Researches; Vol. 9 No. 1; Jan 1909; pp. 13-15)
Acadians enforced their own “low justice” issues. If they could not be worked out by the parties or determined by the local clergy as an unofficial judge these might be decided by the local seigneur or a council of elders (the Acadian deputies from each village). Major crimes (“high justice” issues) might be referred to the formal colonial government. Many Acadian “laws” were not written, but represented moral or ethical positions.
Acadian society was egalitarian and democratic to the bone. Everyone was equal in the eyes of the community. The Acadians treated everyone as a member of the Acadian family - because to a large extent they were one family. They did not call one another “monsieur” or “madame”. They almost always used the familial pronoun “tu” rather than the formal “vous”.
Unlike the primeval innocence described by Longfellow for the Acadians, they, in fact, often “cursed” at objects, situations and the such. And still do today.
Acadians and Mi'kmaq shared many values including mutual respect of neighbors, democratic principles, welfare of community before oneself, desire to be left in peace.
Every Acadian sleeps with a suitcase packed.
To an Acadian - “English justice” is an oxymoron
In Cape Breton are the Highland Scots. Here's their experience of British justice. The English defeated the Scottish Jacobite army at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. The English hunted the Highlanders down, murdered them, burned their houses and expelled them from their territories. Drove them into leaky ships bound for America and Australia. They then granted their “clan” land to English noble families whose descendants and successors own it today. Sound familiar - just ten years later the British did the same to the Acadians.
English common law is rigid, insensitive, hostile and unrealistic - an artificial set of rules that doesn't resonate with the nature of reality or with an authentic lived experience or with the principle of equity and justice. To the Acadian and Mi'kmaq, landscape and life is sentient, ever-changing and in a continual process of becoming - in a constant flux. Mi'kmaq legal principles are dynamic, customary and deliberative requiring extensive consultations to reflect the people's changing experiences and evolving understanding of the world; being responsive to reality, being sane and profound. The Acadians had a “legal” system of deputies that consulted with the populace in making decisions.
Acadians believe in “community” - not being alone. Acadians never locked doors. After all, if you locked your doors, then no one can get in. How will the neighbor return borrowed goods as a tool or rhubarb pie, how will your neighbor put down your windows if it rains while you are away, how can your neighbor borrow some sugar if needed, how can anyone bring you a fresh loaf of bread? Neighbors looked out for each other. If your boat was not tied properly and beating against the rocks at high tide, anyone might resecure your boat to keep it from being damaged. If you leave your car lights on, a passerby will turn them off for you. Or they might just be in the garage fixing your lawn mower because they heard from someone that your lawn mower was broken. Acadians have always had a system of “mutual aid”. The unwritten law among Acadians is “we all rely on one another for our well-being; therefore, everyone must do what he or she can for the general welfare of the community.” This web of community relations ensures that you won't be hurt because nobody wants to hurt you. This civility keeps Acadians from moving away and makes them homesick when they do move. But heaven help you, if you don't contribute. Then the community will not assist you in times of need. If a neighbor needs help, the community turns out to assist.
Building the first home for a newly-wed couple
Help planting or harvesting the crop when someone is ill or has misfortune
Holding a “fundraiser” to assist with unforeseen expenses as a band playing at a local bar, everyone dancing and having a meal served - all done for free and all money raised given to the stricken
At the wedding dance - the guests pinning money on the clothes of the bride and groom to “buy” a dance with them, but also to help pay for the honeymoon and getting started in a life together
Although Acadians may talk a bit different, they are not unsophisticated or uncultured. And they often may be illiterate in a technical sense, but their minds can solve complex problems of construction, farming, fishing etc. They work out unique solutions - often with community input.
Acadians are welcoming people. They want to “know” you, to have you become a part of their community. (They tell you “Hi” on the street, stop to talk to you at a restaurant, invite you in for a cup of coffee, include you in their parties, etc.)
The Acadians were the first French peasants to own land both in North America (Acadia) and in France (Belle-Île-en-Mer).
The Acadians were deported by a great-grandson of the original Pilgrims. In 1604 the French (Acadians) came to North America and initially settled at St. Croix Island. In 1604 the Puritans were expelled from England and went to the Netherlands. In 1620 the Acadians had established a foothold in Acadia. In 1620 the Puritans landed near Cape Cod, Massachusetts and established Plymouth Plantation - the first English settlement in North America. Edward Winslow traveled on the Mayflower in 1620, was a senior leader on the ship and signed the “Mayflower Compact”. At Plymouth he held a number of governmental positions including Assistant Governor, Governor three times and the Colony's Agent in London. In 1755 Lieutenant-Colonel John Winslow, the great-grandson of Edward Winslow, was appointed to lead a Massachusetts provincial regiment and was sent to Nova Scotia to assist Governor Charles Lawrence in sweeping French Acadian influence from Nova Scotia (Acadia). Later in 1755 Lt. Colonel John Winslow was ordered to GrandPré, Nova Scotia and he directed the deportation of the Acadians from Grand-Pré and nearby areas. Thus, the great-grandson of a senior leader of the Pilgrims deported a large part of the Acadian population. Today you can tour the Isaac Winslow House, built ca. 1699, in Marshfield, Massachusetts. It was constructed on land granted to Isaac's grandfather Edward Winslow who arrived on the Mayflower. Lt. Colonel John Winslow lived in this home during his lifetime. (Thanks to Warren Perrin for researching this little-known facet of Acadian history.)
In south Louisiana we call our Godparents Nanny and Parrain. We pin money on the bride's wedding dress and groom's jacket to buy a dance at the reception and help them get a start in married life. We pock eggs on Easter Sunday. We turn on the air conditioner during Christmas Day. We stay at the funeral home all night with a loved one that has passed away. We call our parents Mama and Daddy and are not ashamed of it.
