par Vasquez-Parra, Adeline 
Référence Revue historique, 685, 1, page (59-98)
Publication Publié, 2018
Référence Revue historique, 685, 1, page (59-98)
Publication Publié, 2018
Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | In many historical works, the Acadians, descendants of French Catholic settlers who had settled in the former French colony of Acadie, were expropriated and then deported by their new British administrators because of their religion and presumed allegiance to the King of France. However, how did the British perceive these newly colonized people and how did the French respond to their deportation? In the period following their deportation by the British in 1755, the Acadians were listed in acts of law, decrees, but also in press articles and private correspondence such as that of the governor of the Massachusetts colony Francis Bernard. Gathering these traces reveals various political and social perceptions used in transatlantic societies. Thus, what do administrators mean by using expressions such as "Acadians" or "French Neutrals"? These designations also shed light on the expectations of the European administrators towards a people first administered by the French and then deported by the British. Were they "war prisoners", an "immigrant workforce" or new subjects of law? This article tries to answer these questions, unveiling the various British and French administrations' perceptions towards the Acadian refugees in the middle of the eighteenth century. |
