The Great Expulsion of the Acadians began in 1755. British authorities launched the forced removal of Acadians from parts of present-day Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and northern Maine during the French and Indian War, the North American theater of the Seven Years’ War.
The first major deportation campaign began in August 1755 after the British capture of Fort Beauséjour. Officials feared that Acadians who would not swear an unconditional oath to the British Crown might support France or help supply the French fortress of Louisbourg. The campaign first targeted communities around the Bay of Fundy, including Chignecto and Grand-Pré.
The expulsion continued in waves through 1764, not just in 1755. Approximately 11,500 of an estimated 14,100 Acadians were deported, and thousands died from disease, starvation, or shipwrecks. Many survivors eventually reached Louisiana, where their descendants became known as Cajuns. The event is also called the Great Upheaval, Great Deportation, or Deportation of the Acadians.