History Browser

The men of the British 43rd Regiment of Foot were part of a 2,000 strong army under Lietenant-Colonel Robert Monkton that took Fort Beauséjour after a brief siege in the summer of 1755. At left can be seen men of the grenadier company, distinguished by their pointed mitre headdresses. In the centre are ordinary soldiers who have the tricorne hats worn by most of the regiment. The young men to the right are drummers, wearing coats with reversed colours (white with red facings instead of red with white). This was intended to make drummers easy to spot in a fight, which was important, since drum beats were used to give orders. The presence of women and children seem odd in a military encampment, but each British regiment would have a small number of soldiers' families following them on campaign. Reconstruction by Lewis Parker. (Parks Canada)

Families from France first settled in Acadie in the 1630s. In the early 1680s, Pierre Melanson and Marguerite Mius d'Entremont and their children moved from Port-Royal to found Grand-Pré ...

Synopsis of television episode on England's plan to capture Louisbourg. The French fortress that guarded the entrance to the St. Lawrence River had long been a source of friction between France and Britain. The strategic fort was located on Île Royale and was the centre of the French fishing industry, a key military post, and training base for the French navy. This episode is part of the "Canada: A People's History" series. Includes links to educational resources, bibliography, games, puzzles, and video clips.

Grassy Island Fort National Historic Site of Canada, located on Grassy Island, one of the Canso Islands, features the ruins of 18th century fortifications and the remains of a colonial New England fishing station that are the reminders of a thriving community that was once the commercial heart of Nova Scotia.

Grand-Pré National Historic Site of Canada commemorates Grand-Pré area as a centre of Acadian settlement from 1682 to 1755 and the Deportation of the Acadians, which began in 1755 and continued until 1762.

This report discusses the organizational features of the militia of the separate provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island prior to Confederation.

When war began in 1755, the British took the offensive immediately in Nova Scotia, attacking and capturing both French forts on the disputed isthmus of Chignectou. Fort Beauséjour fell on June 17 after a short formal siege, while Fort Gaspareau was taken shortly after without a fight.

The resumption of hostilities saw French privateers from Port-Royal attacking ships from New England. The British colonies made two unsuccessful attempts to take the French port before a final expedition supported by British troops and the Royal Navy succeeded in 1710.

There is an eye-witness account of the life of a soldier recruited for the Troupes de la Marine in Canada. Joseph Charles Bonin, called 'J.C.B.' joined in 1751, bored with his life as a clerk. After a seasickness filled Atlantic crossing, J.C.B. reached Quebec.

This view of the interior of Fort Beauséjour shows some of the activities that took place there just before the Seven Years' War. In the foreground, men are moving supplies. In the centre, an officer talks with a missionary who accompanies a pair of Abenakis. A left, a detachment of French soldiers escorts an English deserter. Reconstruction by Lewis Parker. (Parks Canada)