Acadie, Evangeline, and the Acadian Diaspora

Background Knowledge

Acadie, or Acadia, was a region in North America founded by French immigrants in the early 1600s. The land, comprising much of what today is known as Nova Scotia, Maine, and Quebec, is situated on Mi'kmaq Homelands and the Homelands of other Wabanaki peoples. Acadians were forcibly removed from Acadie by British and American government agents multiple times in the interest of re-settling Acadian farmland with Protestants. The Acadie in Longfellow's poem draws from history, and "Evangeline" became a cultural touchstone for people in the Acadian Diaspora in the 19th and 20th centuries. How does this timeline help to contextualize the story of Le Grand Dérangement? What questions do you still have?