The work of Griffiths in the book “The Contexts of Acadian History, 1686-1784” aimed at relating experiences of Acadians to the legacy of thoughts that became acquired by Europe migrants. Griffiths examines the roots and survival of the Acadian community and differentiates the Acadians from people in France and England.
In his work, Griffiths points out that the fight for control of North America by both England and France led to expatriation of Acadians from their homeland, in 1755. He further explores the inferences of this expatriation for the continuity of the Acadian society. Thus, the work of Griffiths aims at giving a clear explanation about the history of Acadians.
The book gives an account of how Acadians penetrated the areas currently known as Nova Scotia and Quebec, in 1700. A year before, the Acadians did not exist in these regions.
Most Acadian ancestors who penetrated the abovementioned regions came from France while a few originated from Scotland and England. The Acadians embraced peace, and in this way, they related with the Malecite and the Micmac, who were original residents of the region, peacefully.
The book also explains the traits of the Acadians. The Acadians were productive, and they delivered many children. Average Acadian families had 7-10 children. Infant mortality was also low, and most children grew into adulthood. This was different from other populations that had occupied the land.
According to Griffiths, Acadia is a colony that took shape in 1680’s. Although the conditions of living were harsh, Acadians were not desperate as they afforded to preserve the lives of their children. Colonists of the day engaged in activities that led to the discovery of many resources.
This enable Acadians to obtain sufficient food and other basic needs required for sustenance. Trade facilitated the supply of ammunitions, guns and metal products, although, trade was not crucial for the continued existence of the Acadians. On the other hand, French usually complained that Boston merchants controlled all activities of trade. This confirms that trade existed and that it was significant.
Other sections of the book demonstrate the experiences of Acadians. The experiences of Acadians were similar to those of their English cohorts. For instance, all settlers experienced constant movements after penetrating America.
The front in instituting new settlements in Acadia was occupied by families that had wasted much time at Port Royal. Griffiths work also demonstrates the formations and survival of the Acadian community and how these Acadians differed from France and England people.
The Acadian community obtained recognition from the Treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, through surrendering their empire, on the border between New France and New England to Great Britain. In the following years, the Acadian community worked hard so that they could succeed in building their unique culture and political life.
Nevertheless, Acadians experienced deportation in 1755. This separated most Acadians from the rest of British colonies. As a result, some Acadians shifted from their early destination France and England.
Most Acadians who penetrated France moved up to Louisiana. Other Acadians finally resumed to Nova Scotia, although, the lands that they once owned had already been occupied. Hence, they moved to new lands. Despite the deportation, the Acadian community remained solid. Many community members died, and they became denied political and property rights. Besides, they faced nine years of exclusion.
However, the Acadians maintained their place in Nova Scotia. The Acadians lived as a community, and they sustained this community even during rough times. Hence, Acadians experienced no difficulties in 1764 as they recovered their society after consent to own land in Nova Scotia.
The deportation acted as a source of power for the development of Acadian personality, during the nineteenth century, rather than acting as a point of destruction for the Acadian community.
The work of Griffiths confiscates Acadian history from the sphere of legends and political construal, through explaining this history from the perspective of European and North American position. The work also draws on the contemporary, historical matters concerning the growth of the trans-Atlantic civilization.
This makes us focus on North American history during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The main economic practices of the Acadians were fishing and farming. However, these activities faced opposition from French officials. These officials criticized lethargic practices in farming and the standards of living created by these activities.
However, census outcomes demonstrated that both fishing and farming enhanced standards of livings among the settlers. Beaubasin also visited the area and confirmed that fishing was beneficial to the entire community. However, he did not like the clothing of these settlers and thus, he thought that they could not produce enough material to make their own clothes.
The work of Griffiths explains that little information existed about the structure of Acadians in late 1680s. However, she explains that the economy of the day required substantial and almost incessant labor.
Different groups of settlers met their individual needs through practicing hunting arming, trade and fishing in many, diverse styles. In this manner, they built a community that had significant internal mobility between individuals, although, they were not aware of shifts in economic resources.
Although there was little, absolute destitution and less evident riches, there were notable differences in the records of cattle owned by every family, locks pastured and the size of land cleared.
Her work also explains that although the complex kin systems moderated economic divisions, the Acadian community cannot be visualized as a people without inner hierarchies. Certainly, northern New England and Acadia have a lot in common than what appears among the two colonies, superficially.
The Acadian landscape, unlike most parts in England and France, transmitted the marks of the detached community, one that had external organization but lacked internal systems. Both England and Western France developed nuclear villages near churches that became surrounded by common lands and open fields.
However, this practice was not common among the Acadians. Rather, the Acadians followed the North American norm which created entity farmsteads. These farmsteads, although, dispersed formed distance rural societies and neighborhoods. These entity farmsteads existed till the arrival of the Europeans. At this time, the Mimac and Malecite populated these lands. In other words, Acadia was a people’s land.
In conclusion, the work of Griffiths succeeds at giving a clear explanation about the history of Acadians as well as their traits and experiences. The roots of Acadians can be traced from France, while a few originated from Scotland and England.
Acadians experienced deportation in 1755, and this separated most Acadians from the rest of British colonies. Despite the deportation, the Acadian community remained solid. Thus, Griffiths work succeeds in demonstrating the formations and survival of the Acadian community and how these Acadians differed from France and England people.
A notable consequence of the war struggle between France and England was the deportation of Acadians from their homelands. The work by Griffiths explains the inferences of this deportation for the endurance of the Acadian Community.