the expulsion of the acadians in the eyes of the british officials

Charles Lawrence, Governor of the province of Nova Scotia made the decision of deporting the Acadians and his major superiors thought it was an intelligent dispatch [… ] (Griffiths, 128). There are many different reasons to why the British Officials went through with this deportation. The British Officials conducted the expulsion of the Acadians between 1755 and 1758 from Nova Scotia. The Acadians were not fully trusted and became an obstacle for the British Officials to take full control of Nova Scotia.

The British Officials wanted to follow through with the deportation because the Acadians wanted to remain neutral, the rising tension with the French and the Acadians refusal to sign the Oath of Allegiance caused the British to doubt the Acadian’s resolve to remain neutral. The British Officials wanted the Acadians to take the Oath of Allegiance, but the Acadians wanted to remain neutral between the British and the French. The Acadians stood their ground by not taking the Oath of Allegiance.

Therefore, the biggest problem the British had for the Acadians was their neutrality. By staying neutral to both, the British could not trust that the Acadians would be more favourable to the French in a time of conflict. ‘The councilman also cited the Acadians recent behaviour. Those who favoured removing them argued that they had helped supply the French army and Mi’kmaq warriors and refused to sell provisions to the British except at exorbitant prices. [… ], and the councilman assumed that they provided the French and Mi’kmaq useful intelligence’ (Plank, 110).

This quotes shows that the British Officials had suspicions that some of the Acadians were already working against them. The British Officials knew and understood they could not fully trust all Acadians when they said they wanted to remain neutral. The Acadians, from Pittman 3 the British point of view, according to these suspicions was not on their side. They were considered as a threat because they could be secretly working against them and with the French. For that reason, the British made their decision to throw out the Acadians from their home land.

The rising tension between the French and the British was another reason why the British conducted the deportation of the Acadians. The colonial French administrators wanted to take over Nova Scotia and bring Acadia back within the French Empire. Joseph Saint- Ovide de Brouillan, the governor of Ile Royal, made tentative plans to retake Nova Scotia assured by his advisors the French would be seen as liberators (Plank 108). The French attack on the Canso was intended as a first step toward recapturing all of Nova Scotia.

The French wanted to take over the fishery in the North Atlantic influencing more Acadians to side with them. Deciding to attack the Canso was a mistake for the French because the British decided to bring New Englanders for the moment the fighting began (Plank, 108). The Canso became a war zone, but the British won and gained back Canso. The British was suspicion of the Acadians neutrality because the French invaded Casno. The British already had suspicions of the Acadians favoring the French and the attack pushed it even farther.

The British Officials wanted to prevent this from happening again by deportating the Acadians from Nova Scotia. By kicking out the Acadians the British could take full control of Nova Scotia. The British Officials demanded the Acadians to sign the Oath of Allegiance, but the Acadians refused to do so. This was one reason why the British conducted the expulsion of Pittman 4 the Acadians because they could not have full control over them. The British Officials wanted the Acadians to be loyal subjects to the King and be under their control. The essence of the administration’s position became clear: the Acadians were told that their loyalty and obedience could best be properly demonstrated by ‘their immediately taking the Oath of Allegiance in the Commons from before the Council [… ], he based his opinions upon the question of their loyalty as subjects, rather than upon their position as aliens (Griffiths, 126-127). The British Officials wanted in ensure the Acadians were on their side and signing the Oath would prove to the British Officials that they were.

The British thought they Acadians were a threat because they would not fall under their command. The British demanded the Acadians to take this oath because it would also ensure the Acadians would not take up arms against the British Empire. ‘The legal argument over the link between the oath of the allegiance and the rights of the Acadians as British had little import for the immediate circumstances’ (Griffiths, 127). The British gave the Acadians a chance to stay in Nova Scotia by agreeing to the Oath, but the Acadians turned down that offer.

Coming to these conclusions, the British Officials thought it would be best to follow through with the removal of the Acadians. The British Officials came to different conclusions to go through with the expulsion of the Acadians. The British Officials could not trust all Acadians to remain neutral. The Acadians refused to sign the Oath of Allegiance it was clear that they were the obstacle to control Nova Scotia. In conclusion, Charles Lawrence planned and went through with the expulsion because it would benefit the local British Officials do to the fact they would have full control over Nova Scotia.

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