a history of the settlement of scotia & vicinity

Full Answer

What was the first Scottish settlement in North America?

The first documented Scottish settlement in the Americas was of Nova Scotia in 1629. On 29 September 1621, the charter for the foundation of a colony was granted by James VI of Scotland to Sir William Alexander. Between 1622 and 1628, Sir William launched four attempts to send colonists to Nova Scotia; all failed for various reasons.

What is the history of Nova Scotia?

For military history, see Military history of Nova Scotia. The history of Nova Scotia covers a period from thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Nova Scotia (also historically referred to as Mi'kma'ki and Acadia) were inhabited by the Mi'kmaq people.

What is progress of settlement in Nova Scotia?

PROGRESS OF SETTLEMENT IN NOVA SOOTIA. These liberal terms commended themselves to many persons in New England and agents for associations of residents of Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts were in Halifax the same year making arrangements for the removal of colonists to Nova Scotia.

Where did the Acadians settle in Nova Scotia?

Nova Scotia was only one of several destinations of Acadians in the American Colonies. A group of 90 exiles sailed from Massachusetts to Quebec in 1766, joining forces with the Acadians who had fled there from Nova Scotia after 1755. They settled near Quebec City and along the Nicolet and Richelieu Rivers.

What was the first settlement in Nova Scotia?

Aboriginal Settlement The first peoples in what is now Nova Scotia were the Mi'kmaq, who belonged to a wider coalition known as the Wabanaki Confederacy, whose members were in turn part of the Algonquin-language family in eastern North America. The Mi'kmaq presence can be traced as far back as 10,000 years.

When were the first settlers in Nova Scotia?

1773: The first Scottish settlers arrived. 1783: American refugees of the American Revolution, who were also known as United Empire Loyalists, came to Nova Scotia. Cape Breton and New Brunswick enjoyed separate governments. 1815–1850: Some 55,000 immigrants, mostly Scottish and Irish, came to the province.

What was Nova Scotia known for in 1867?

Nova Scotia was one of the four founding provinces of Canada. It joined New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec in Confederation on 1 July 1867. However, this was mainly because Confederation delivered the Intercolonial Railway to the Maritimes, and because of the efforts of Sir Charles Tupper.

What are 3 facts about Nova Scotia?

The name Nova Scotia is Latin for New Scotland. The province is located within the Atlantic Standard Time Zone (AST) four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and one hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST). The weather in Nova Scotia is moderate and has four distinct seasons: winter, spring, summer and fall.

Who migrated to Nova Scotia?

Scottish settlers The first ship loaded with Hebridean colonists arrived on "St. John's Island" (Prince Edward Island) in 1770, with later ships following in 1772 and 1774. In 1773, a ship named The Hector landed in Pictou, Nova Scotia, with 169 settlers mostly originating from the Isle of Skye.

Where did immigrants land in Nova Scotia?

Roughly eight thousand men and women from New England came to settle in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia, and in the Upper St. John River Valley of present-day New Brunswick, between 1759 and 1768. They left a legacy that can be found in the social, religious, and political life of Atlantic Canada.

How Nova Scotia got its name?

Nova Scotia is Latin for “New Scotland”. The province was named by Sir William Alexander who was given the land by King James VI of Scotland in 1621.

Who first discovered Nova Scotia?

The first Europeans to settle in what is now Nova Scotia were the French, who arrived in 1604, and Catholic Mi'kmaq and Acadians formed the majority of the population of the colony for the next 150 years.

What does Nova Scotia mean in English?

[ noh-vuh-skoh-shuh ] SHOW IPA. / ˈnoʊ və ˈskoʊ ʃə / PHONETIC RESPELLING. noun. a peninsula and province in SE Canada: once a part of the French province of Acadia.

Why is Nova Scotia famous for?

Nova Scotia's wine country is shaped by the sea and is the only place on earth that produces Tidal Bay wines. Nova Scotia has a long and rich tradition of growing grapes for wine that dates back to the 1600s, when this was one of the first areas to cultivate grapes in North America.

What language do they speak in Nova Scotia?

English is the only spoken language of the vast majority of the people. Nova Scotians who speak only French are few. However, both Gaelic and the native language of the Mi'kmaq have experienced a renaissance in recent years.

What is the coldest day recorded in Nova Scotia?

January 31, 1920The coldest temperature ever recorded was −41.1 °C (−42 °F) on January 31, 1920, at Upper Stewiacke.

Where did the Acadians originally come from?

The Acadian story begins in France; the people who would become the Cajuns came primarily from the rural areas of the Vendee region of western France. In 1604, they began settling in Acadie, now Nova Scotia, where they prospered as farmers and fishers.

When was Halifax first settled?

1749The British takeover of Nova Scotia in 1713 resulted in a permanent British settlement at Halifax when Edward Cornwallis arrived with some 2,500 settlers, most of them from England, and founded a fortified town (1749) as a counterbalance to Louisbourg, the French stronghold in Cape Breton.

Did the Scottish colonize Nova Scotia?

Nova Scotia (1621) The first documented Scottish settlement in the Americas was of Nova Scotia in 1629. On 29 September 1621, the charter for the foundation of a colony was granted by James VI of Scotland to Sir William Alexander.

Who were the first settlers in Cape Breton?

Cape Breton Island's first residents were likely archaic maritime natives, ancestors of the Mi'kmaq people. These peoples and their progeny inhabited the island (known as Unama'ki) for several thousand years and continue to live there to this day.

What is Nova Scotia's history?

The history of Nova Scotia covers a period from thousands of years ago to the present day. Prior to European colonization, the lands encompassing present-day Nova Scotia (also historically referred to as Mi'kma'ki and Acadia) were inhabited by the Mi'kmaq people. During the first 150 years of European settlement, ...

Where did the French settle in 1605?

In 1605, French colonists established the first permanent European settlement in the future Canada (and the first north of Florida) at Port Royal, founding what would become known as Acadia. The French, led by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Monts established the first capital for the colony Acadia at Port Royal. Acadia (French: Acadie) was located in the northeastern region of North America comprising what is now the Canadian Maritime Provinces of New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island, Gaspé, in Quebec, and to the Kennebec River in southern Maine .

How many Nova Scotians were in the Civil War?

Over 200 Nova Scotians have been identified as fighting in the American Civil War (1861–1865). Most joined Maine or Massachusetts infantry regiments, but one in ten served the Confederacy (South). The total likely reached two thousand as many young men had migrated to the U.S. before 1860. Pacifism, neutrality, anti-Americanism, and anti-"Yankee" sentiments all operated to keep the numbers down, but on the other hand, there were strong cash incentives to join the well-paid Northern army and the long tradition of emigrating out of Nova Scotia, combined with a zest for adventure, attracted many young men.

Why did Crowne return to England?

With the Restoration in 1660 Crowne returned to England to participate in the coronation of Charles II, and to defend their claim to Nova Scotia. The grant to Crowne and Temple had been made by Cromwell under the Commonwealth; now that Charles had ascended the throne there were a number of other claimants.

How did the American Revolution affect Nova Scotia?

At the beginning, there was ambivalence in Nova Scotia, "the 14th American Colony" as some called it, over whether the colony should join the Americans in the war against Britain. A small number of Nova Scotians went south to serve with the Continental Army against the British; upon the completion of the war these supporters were granted land in the Refugee Tract in Ohio.

How many colonial wars were there in Nova Scotia?

There were six colonial wars that took place in Nova Scotia over a seventy-five year period (see the French and Indian Wars as well as Father Rale's War and Father Le Loutre's War ). These wars were fought between New England and New France and their respective native allies before the British defeated the French in North America (1763). During these wars, Acadians, Mi'kmaq and Maliseet from the region fought to protect the border of Acadia from New England, which New France defined as the Kennebec River in southern Maine. The wars also involved attempting to prevent the New Englanders from taking the capital of Acadia, Port Royal (See Queen Anne's War ), establishing themselves at Canso (See Father Rale's War) and establishing Halifax (See Father Le Loutre's War ).

What is the Mi'kmaq province?

For several thousand years, the territory of the province has been a part of the territory of the Mi'kmaq country of Mi'kma'ki. Mi'kma'ki includes what is now the Maritimes, parts of Maine, Newfoundland and the Gaspé Peninsula. The Mi'kmaq lived in an annual cycle of seasonal movement between living in dispersed interior winter camps and larger coastal communities during the summer. The climate was unfavourable for agriculture, and small semi-nomadic bands of a few matrilineality related families subsisted on fishing and hunting.

When did Nova Scotia become a British colony?

It was not until the settlement of Halifax in 1749 that any serious attempt was made to cause Nova Scotia to become in fact, what it had been long in name, a British colony. A war with France followed almost immediately and while its issue was in doubt new settlements in Nova Scotia were not to be thought of.

What was the name of the township in Connecticut that was granted to an association of persons who proposed to remove to Nova?

In 1759 a township a Chignecto had been granted to an association of persons in Connecticut who proposed to remove to Nova Scotia. This settlement was retarded by the threatening posture of the Acadians who still cherished the hope of returning to the lands on the isthmus from which they had been driven.

Where did the emigration movement begin?

A powerful emigration movement commenced from the more densely peopled portions of New England to the territory to the eastward which prior to that time it would have been hazardous for an English settler to inhabit.

Where did the French settle in Nova Scotia?

French settlement at Port Royal, Nova Scotia, from a map by Marc Lescarbot, 1609. Library of Congress, Rare Book Division. For the next century and a half, the region was a focal point for French-English rivalry for control of North America.

Who was the Scottish king who settled Port Royal?

In 1621 the English king James I granted the area to a Scottish nobleman, Sir William Alexander. This led to a brief, unsuccessful Scottish settlement at Port Royal (1629–32). Port Royal, Nova Scotia. French settlement at Port Royal, Nova Scotia, from a map by Marc Lescarbot, 1609. Library of Congress, Rare Book Division.

What was Nova Scotia's economy like in the 21st century?

At the turn of the 21st century, Nova Scotia’s population and economy continued to experience modest growth. The large potential of offshore gas reserves and an expanding technology-based industrial sector augured well for the future of the province, as did the tourism industry.

What was the role of Halifax in the 20th century?

During both of the 20th-century World Wars, Halifax played a key role in the transportation of men and supplies to Europe; the city experienced unprecedented prosperity as a result. During World War I, much of the city was destroyed when two ships collided in Halifax Harbour on Dec. 6, 1917. The collision resulted in the largest man-made explosion in history prior to the advent of the atomic bomb. More than 1,500 Haligonians were killed.

What happened in 1917?

A thick cloud of smoke billowing over Halifax and nearby towns, such as Africville, in Nova Scotia, Canada, after a munitions ship exploded in the Halifax Harbour on December 6, 1917. Paul Fearn/Alamy.

When did Nova Scotia split from Prince Edward Island?

Meanwhile, Prince Edward Island had split off from Nova Scotia in 1769, and New Brunswick and Cape Breton followed in 1784; the last was reunited with Nova Scotia in 1820. In 1848 Nova Scotia became the first British colony in which the administration of government was responsible to the majority in the House of Assembly, ...

When did Nova Scotia become a European country?

After thousands of years of occupation by aboriginal peoples, the region came to the attention of Europeans, perhaps during the Viking voyages of c. ad 1000 and certainly by the late 15th century. The rich fisheries of the coast provided the major impetus for European involvement in the area.

When did the first settlers arrive in Nova Scotia?

This appeared to work; the first settlers arrived in Nova Scotia in 1622 and settled at Port Royal (modern day Annapolis Royal). However, the settlers lacked the necessary skills required to build and maintain a successful colony and were met by several hardships.

Where did the Scots come from in Nova Scotia?

These Scottish settlers soon made up the majority of the population of developing Nova Scotia. The greater part of these settlers came from the Lowlands, from Dumfries and the Borderland areas of Scotland. However, after the Battle of Culloden in 1745, many Highlanders also made the journey to Nova Scotia; persecuted Catholics and Jacobites who felt the need to leave Scotland. Large numbers of Scots also migrated during the Highland Clearances in the 18th and 19th centuries. These migrants came to the colony through the ports of Sydney, Halifax and most importantly, Pictou. Between the years 1770 and 1815, nearly 15,000 Scots travelled from their homeland to settle in Nova Scotia, making up the core of the settlers there; it was for this reason that the port of Pictou became known as the ‘Birthplace of New Scotland’. Due to the large numbers of Highlanders, Gaelic quickly became the third most common European language spoken in Canada, after English and French.

What does the unicorn represent in Nova Scotia?

Coat of Arms of Nova Scotia; The thistle and laurel represent Scotland and peace respectively. The unicorn also represents Scotland, whilst the other is a representative of the Mi’kmaq First Nation, indigenous to Nova Scotia

What were the problems of the first settlers in Nova Scotia?

The first problem encountered was the dense forests of the region; the land had to be cleared before proper buildings could be erected. With the first winter approaching, many of the new settlers died of illness. Those that survived continued to suffer, as their homes were poorly constructed and many soon left. In 1629 William Alexander, the son of Sir William, brought 70 settlers to Port Royal and there built Fort Charles. The aim of this second expedition was to bolster the colony with settlers with the practical skills required to build and maintain a colony. However, the ongoing war with France prevented any supplies coming across from Scotland and overland attacks from French colonial troops forced many settlers to return home or flee south to New England. When the land of the colony was returned to the French in 1632, the settlers were forced to return to Scotland.

What was the difference between Scotland and England in 1621?

In 1621 and despite being under the rule of the same monarch, King James VI of Scotland (and I of England), England and Scotland were completely separate in all matters of colonisation. England had several colonies in the New World; Scotland on the other hand had no colonies at all. Sir William Alexander, the 1st Earl of Stirling, was desperate to change this; he envisaged Scotland becoming a world power in its own right. In 1621, he was granted a charter by King James allowing him to set up a Scottish colony in the lands lying between New England and Newfoundland. King James was eager to agree; there was already a New Spain, New England, New Holland, and New France – why shouldn’t there be a New Scotland?

What was Scotland's best known attempt at becoming a world empire?

Scotland’s best known attempt at becoming a world empire is probably the infamous Darien Scheme in 1698, which resulted in the loss of almost 50% of all the money circulating Scotland, completely ruining the Lowlands and leading to the Act of Union between England and Scotland (1707).

When did Scotland first colonize the New World?

However, Scotland’s first attempt at colonising the New World occurred almost 80 years before the Darien Scheme; the colonisation of Nova Scotia. In 1621 and despite being under the rule of the same monarch, King James VI of Scotland (and I of England), England and Scotland were completely separate in all matters of colonisation.

When did Nova Scotia become a colony?

Nova Scotia finally became a permanent legal entity after the region was “conquered” by the British in 1710 , completing British control of the northeastern North American seaboard. But while Britons could now factually claim to have a colony named Nova Scotia, in practice the British presence in Nova Scotia amounted to a handful ...

Who made the map of Nova Scotia?

Map of Nova Scotia made in 1755 by provincial chief surveyor Charles Morris ( British Library via Flickr under public domain) By Alexandra L. Montgomery, The Journal of the History of Ideas. smithsonianmag.com. July 13, 2021.

What was the name of the colony that was built entirely using Parliamentary money?

As a “model colony” and laboratory of empire, Nova Scotia was the site of a nearly unprecedented experiment in British colonization when, in 1749, a new, Atlantic-facing capitol—Halifax—was built entirely using Parliamentary money and peopled with settlers directly recruited by the British crown.

What was the name of the region that was ruled by the French?

The region the name was appended to was, instead, generally recognized within Europe as Acadia, part of the French empire, and in terms of practical on-the-ground control it was the homeland of the Mi’kmaq, Wulstukwiuk, Passamaquoddy and other Wabanaki people. Nova Scotia finally became a permanent legal entity after the region was “conquered” by ...

What was the common thread linking these phases of 18th-century thinking about Nova Scotia?

The common thread linking these phases of 18th-century thinking about Nova Scotia was a near total lack of actual experience with the lived conditions of the province. They were plans made in New York pubs, Philadelphia coffeeshops and London boardrooms. Even the idea of “Nova Scotia” itself was made up.

What was the Acadian population rounded up and deported in?

Just a few years later, the Acadian population was rounded up and deported in what John Mack Faragher has referred to as an act of ethnic cleansing. After the defeat of the French and the British annexation of Canada, planners continued to see Nova Scotia as a space uniquely suited for direct imperial intervention.

What was the purpose of the colony of Halifax?

Beginning in the late 1740s, the colony was the centerpiece of the Earl of Halifax’s ambitious plan to reform the North American colonies.

Where did the Scottish settle in North America?

Scottish colonisation of the Americas comprised a number of failed or abandoned Scottish settlements in North America; a colony at Darien on the Isthmus of Panama; and a number of wholly or largely Scottish settlements made after the Acts of Union 1707, and those made by the enforced resettlement after the Battle of Culloden and the Highland Clearances .

Who moved the capital of Nova Scotia to the Scottish settlement of Charles Fort?

Upon Razilly's death, his lieutenant Charles de Menou d'Aulnay moved the capital to the old Scottish settlement of Charles Fort and renamed it Port Royal.

What was the first colony in Nova Scotia?

During the Anglo-French War, under Charles I, by 1629 the Kirkes took Quebec City, Sir James Stewart of Killeith, Lord Ochiltree planted a colony on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia at Baleine, and Alexander's son, William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling established the first incarnation of "New Scotland" at Port Royal, Nova Scotia. This set of British triumphs which left Cape Sable as the only major French holding on mainland Nova Scotia was not destined to last. Charles I's haste to make peace with France on the terms most beneficial to him meant that the new North American gains would be bargained away in the Treaty of Suza and the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The Scots were forced to abandon their Nova Scotia colony in its infancy. The French under Isaac de Razilly reoccupied Nova Scotia (Acadia) in 1632, establishing their new capital at LaHave. Upon Razilly's death, his lieutenant Charles de Menou d'Aulnay moved the capital to the old Scottish settlement of Charles Fort and renamed it Port Royal. (This is not the same Port Royal established by the French in 1605.)

What was the Darien scheme?

The Darien scheme is probably the best known of all Scotland's colonial endeavours , and the most disastrous. In 1695, an act was passed in the Parliament of Scotland establishing The Company of Scotland Trading to Africa and the Indies and was given royal assent by the Scottish representative of King William II of Scotland (and III of England). This act gave the company a 31-year monopoly on trade with Africa and Asia, authorising it to arm and equip ships and to establish colonies in uninhabited or unclaimed areas of America, Asia or Africa. These powers were similar to those of the English East India Company, which opposed the establishment of a Scottish rival.

Why did the pace of Scottish immigration slow down in the 1690s?

In the 1690s, the pace of Scottish immigration slowed, due to opposition by William III of England and II of Scotland to those proprietors who supported James II of England and VII of Scotland; it did not pick up again till the 1720s.

When was Nova Scotia established?

Nova Scotia (1621) The first documented Scottish settlement in the Americas was of Nova Scotia in 1629. On 29 September 1621, the charter for the foundation of a colony was granted by James VI of Scotland to Sir William Alexander. Between 1622 and 1628, Sir William launched four attempts to send colonists to Nova Scotia;

What were the problems faced by the Scots?

The problems faced by the settlers included a lack of provisions due to famine in Sco tland, the Scots' lack of colonising experience, diseases such as malaria, poor weather and the proximity of the Spanish, who claimed the land the Scots had settled on.

Where did the Acadians go in the 1755s?

During the period 1755-63, most of the Acadians were deported to the American Colonies, Great Britain, and France. In exile, the Acadians exhibited remarkable tenacity as they tried to return to Nova Scotia or else searched for new homelands.

When did Acadia become a British colony?

In 1713, by the Treat of Utrecht, Acadia became a British possession, named Nova Scotia. France continued its presence in the region by retaining Isle Royale (Cape Breton Island) and Isle Saint Jean (Prince Edward Island).

What was Acadia's economy?

The population of Acadia grew from around 400 in 1670 to nearly 900 in 1686, with settlement spreading from Port-Royal up the Bay of Fundy to Minas Basin and Cobequid Bay, and around Cape Chignecto to Beaubassin. The unique agricultural economy was based on cultivation of tidal marshlands reclaimed through an extensive system of dykes. In 1690, a Massachusetts expedition under William Phipps took Port-Royal in retaliation for attacks on New England by French troops from Canada. The Acadians were caught in the middle of a colonial power struggle in which they took little interest. After surviving a naval blockade in 1704 and two attacks in 1707, Port-Royal fell for the final time on 13 October 1710. A British garrison was installed and the town was renamed Annapolis Royal.

Why did the Acadians refuse to swear an oath of allegiance to the British Crown?

The Acadians refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the British crown unless the oath was qualified by recognition of their freedom of religion, their neutrality in case of war, and their right to emigrate. Governor Richard Philipps received qualified oaths in 1729-30, formally recognizing Acadian neutrality.

How many Acadians were deported?

Between 1755 and 1763, over 10,000 Acadians, 75% of the entire population, were deported. Through the deportation, Lawrence, who died suddenly in 1760, succeeded in his primary goal. After the fall of Quebec, the last obstacle to British settlement in Nova Scotia was removed, and in the 1760s approximately 8000 New Englanders came to Nova Scotia, occupying the Acadian lands. The deportation of a conquered population was not unusual in the context of the times. The French inhabitants of Plaisance, Newfoundland were relocated to Isle Royale in 1713, and the inhabitants of Isle Royale to France in 1745 and again in 1758. In 1746, the Duc d’Anville had orders to deport Acadians who were not loyal to the French crown. But the deportation of the Acadians was unusual because so many were sent not to their motherland or to another French colony, but to British possessions. Also, the deportation occurred long after the actual conquest of Acadia.

What happened after Utrecht?

After Utrecht, the Acadians experienced three decades of peace. The population swelled from 2900 in 1714 to 8000 in 1739. The British presence was confined to the garrisons at Annapolis Royal and at Canso, shore base of the New England bank fishery.

What happened to Captain Frye?

On the 28th, Captain Frye sailed from the fort for Chepody, Memramcook and Petitcodiac, stopping along the way to destroy Acadian property and crops. While putting the torch to a village on 4 September, Frye’s men were ambushed and forced to withdraw to Fort Cumberland.

What happened after the arrival of these French prisoners?

After the arrival of these French prisoners, very few others of French origin entered the population. The church registers and other sources show the subsequent arrival of a certain number of Irishmen.

What are the names of the people who were in Tracadie?

About 1814 or 1815, a group of French soldiers and sailors who had been interned at Halifax during the wars were released and came to Tracadie, including Pierre Davisson (Davidson), Joseph Hannequin dit Alicon (Allison), Joseph-Aime Dadu (Dadeau), Jean Courtin (only had daughters) and Augustin Paschal. Also among the Halifax prisoners was an American sailor, James Bowie. One may also include in this group Dominique Dorley, who left Halifax earlier than the others and went to the Gaspe before coming to Tracadie.

Overview

Early history

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

See also