A Great and Noble Scheme

In 1755, New England troops initiated an aggressive campaign to expel 18,000 French-speaking Acadians from Nova Scotia, resulting in widespread violence, family separations, and guerrilla resistance. The Acadians, who had long valued their neutrality and harmonious relationships with native Mikmaq Indians and English Protestants, faced persecution for refusing to pledge allegiance to the British Crown. John Mack Faragher's narrative draws on extensive original research to explore 150 years of Acadian history, detailing both their rich civilization and the brutal efforts to dismantle it.