Acadia: First Foothold in the North
From Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong by Samuel Biagetti, PhD
February 27, 2026 · 1h 34m
About this episode
The episode explores the early history of Acadia, the first northern European colony in America, and its challenges.
We follow the tortuous beginnings of Acadia, the first northern European colony in America -- a string of remote fishing and fur trading outposts, Catholic missions, and French farming villages, which had to withstand a harsh, remote environment, religious and political feuding, a near civil war, and frequent privateer attacks, in order to persist through the seventeenth century and finally begin to develop a distinctive Acadian provincial society which would later survive global war and ethnic cleansing. Please become a patron to hear patron-only lectures -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 My previous lecture on Bourbon France in the same period: https://www.patreon.com/posts/age-of-3-bourbon-44146424 Suggested further reading: N. Griffiths, “The Contexts of Acadian History” & “From Migrant to Acadian: A North American Border People”; Arseneault, “History of the Acadians” Image: Depiction of Belle-Isle area just outside of Port Royal from French census of 1686 Music: “Danse des Sauvages,” from “Les Indes Galantes” by Rameau, performed by Les Arts Florissants
People in this episode
Host: Samuel Biagetti
Topics covered
- Acadia
- colonial history
- French missions
- ethnic cleansing
- seventeenth century
Keywords
- Acadia
- colonization
- French history
- seventeenth century
- ethnic cleansing
- fishing outposts
- fur trading
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Danse des Sauvages, Les Indes Galantes
Places: Acadia, Port Royal
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