Story of Acadians - Ep 1

Dr. Robert Aucoin brought together an eclectic panel of experts to tell a story about Acadians.
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[@lgf1541]

My ancestors escaped to the woods of New Brunswick and settled in Inkerman and surrounding. I'm very proud of my heritage. They were woodsman and farmers. Boudreau and Robichaud.

[@alexschonski3637]

My Mother was half Irish and half French Acadian , names O'Brien , Quintin , Pellerin , Bourgeois , and Dugas in my family tree . My mother was from Shediac NB

[@alexschonski3637]

My seventh great grandfather on my mothers side of the family was Abraham Dugas Lt General of Port Royal Acadia .

[@jo-annleake8198]

This is a great overview of Le Grand Derangement for those of us who are still learning of our Acadian families' histories. I look at some of the behaviours and think about how the trauma was somehow transmitted to descendants in many ways.

[@AucoinRobert]

Agreed. I often reflect on the hardships our ancestors endured

[@timothycote236]

The other point I was going to make, was when my oldest brother was born, there were 10 Grand parents still alive. (This was in North Dakota) French was their first language. Most did not speak Enlish to my understanding.

[@timothycote236]

This is very interesting for me to try to understand our families movements. I heard they were from the Acadian area. But, migrated from Quebec to North Dakota. From the Trois Rivieres and Shawinigan area of Quebec. Both families were farmers from that region.

[@billbarrett8434]

THANKS so much for the history! My family line, Dugas, were with the Broussard group that went to Louisiana in early (Jan or Feb) 1765, and Jean Dugas was a signer of the Dauterive Compact (see below). Unfortunately, Jean Dugas and his wife died later that year of the small pox, as did Beausoleil as was mentioned. Can anyone provide any more information about this initial group of Acadians? Thank you so uch for any information that can be provided! Bill Barrett "On 4 April in New Orleans, he made a compact with eight Acadian “chiefs” including: Joseph dit Beausoleil Broussard, Alexandre Broussard, Joseph Guilbeau, Jean Dugas, Olivier Thibodeau, Jean-Baptiste Broussard, Pierre Arseneau and Victor Broussard. These eight leaders were possibly also acting for their comrades not present at the formal meeting attended by the governor. Dauterive agreed to furnish five cows and one bull to each willing Acadian, once the newcomers were on the western frontier. After six years, Dauterive would get half their herd’s increases. From their shares, the Acadians would also return to Dauterive his initial investments.[10]"

[@AucoinRobert]

Thank you do much for your comments. The Acadian Centre in Louisiana likely has a lot of information on this.

[@EdinburghFive]

The "Chiefs" you are referring to may be Deputies. There was a tradition among the Acadians to elect Deputies as their representatives when it came to dealing with the Authorities. The tradition went back to the early Acadian colony under the French and it appears to have been a system they brought with them from France. When the British took over control of Acadia in the early eighteenth-century they formalized the Deputy system and held elections every October.

[@ThisIsMyYoutubeName1]

A lot of these names are in my lineage. I’m also in Louisiana, on the dividing line of St. Martin and St. Landry. I do have 1 great great grandfather who is a Broussard that I cannot find any information on. He lived in Cankton.

[@ThisIsMyYoutubeName1]

I found them in my tree. They had 3 children, Marie, Eloi and Louis. My cousin has spent over 25 years doing our tree. I have their ancestors and their descendants.

[@ThisIsMyYoutubeName1]

Charles dit Charlitte, second son of Charles Dugas and Anne Robichaud dit Niganne, born probably at Annapolis Royal in c1737, married Marguerite, daughter of Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil and Agnès Thibodeau of Petitcoudiac, during Le Grand Dérangement. Charlitte probably was part of the Acadian resistance in present-day southeastern New Brunswick led by his father-in-law. Charlitte and Marguerite ended up as prisoners at Halifax with the Broussards and followed Marguerite's father and kinsmen to Louisiana via St.-Domingue in 1764-65. They brought no children to Louisiana; one wonders if they lost any during the Great Upheaval. After a short respite in New Orleans, they followed the Broussards to Bayou Teche. When, during the summer and fall of 1765, an epidemic devastated the Teche community and killed some of their relatives, including Marguerite's famous father, Charlitte and Marguerite did not retreat with many of their kinsmen to the river. They remained with the Broussards on the western prairies, where their children were born. They settled at Fausse Pointe near present-day New Iberia, the original Broussard settlement. Charles dit Charlitte died at his home at Fausse Pointe in September 1808; the priest who recorded his burial said that Charles was 80 years old when he died, but he was closer to 70. He had only two sons, but they both, especially his older son, created vigorous lines of their own. Many of his grandsons and a great-grandson married Broussard cousins from Fausse Pointe.

[@NilesG902]

It's going to be a difficult discussion to have because of the racial tensions and disbelief of mixed races is what I m fidning when researching my lines to Cormier, Noiles, DOucette ,etc

[@AucoinRobert]

I'm running into something similar as my children are bi-racial. Soon everyone will be multi-racial and it won't matter.

[@highestgood5169]

I am curious to know why my Grandmother ended up in a boarding school. Is that what happened to children of Acadia? Then went to Maine. My grandmother was very traumatized (and an amazing woman!).

[@mmraike]

I really hope that Dr. Aucoin can also trace his mother and his mother's mother, etc.

[@terrygray9816]

Explains a lot of my grandfather Beaudrots heritage and how he ended up in Charleston S.C .

[@AucoinRobert]

I'm happy to hear this. Thank you.

[@cblostworld]

Great presentation, very informative.

[@AucoinRobert]

Thank you

[@billbarrett8434]

ALSO, I'd love to uderstand more about the Beausoleil group and how they managed to evade capture for so long. It is my undertanding that they were in the St. Jean River area and then up to Bay of Charles at the are of final surrender (I'm forgetting the name, but it starts with an R, the name of the river, perhaps Routigeau). THANKS again!

[@AucoinRobert]

Good question. I believe they evaded capture by not staying in 1 place for too long.

[@EdinburghFive]

The Acadian and Mi'kmaq carried on a guerilla war against the English after the initial expulsions of 1755. They withdrew their families to places away from the English troops. The area of what is now New Brunswick had no British towns, forts, or supply areas. After the fall of Louisbourg supplies of weapons, ammunition, food, etc., stopped. At that point the guerilla war could not be sustained and many Acadian turned themselves into the British authorities.

[@EdinburghFive]

The name you are trying to remember is Restigouche, I believe.

[@whereverigothereiam3078]

I am trying to find information about my father's family. VERY little known about them. Anyone here know of any of the Dupe family? I am guessing they are of Acadian descent but admit total ignorance from the get go. My father was mostly absent from my life and thus his family and when I did ask he kept his mouth shut and said he didn't like to talk about the past or that he didn't know anything. :( When I search the family name I get almost NO results at all. Very frustrating.

[@EdinburghFive]

Is Dupe perhaps a variation of Dupeux/Dupuis? A Michel and a Pierre are listed in the 1693 census at Port Royal.

[@ThisIsMyYoutubeName1]

I have my lineage from almost all sides and “Dupuis” had a lot of different spellings. My guess would be that you descend from that line. But not knowing any names or location, there isn’t much I can help.