L'Ile Sainte Croix: European Heritage

The Acadian people come from a proud culture that has survived adversity and exile. Descended from French settlers in what would become Canada's Maritime Provinces, the Acadians were exiled from the now English-controlled provinces for refusing to take up arms against France. Many would eventually return from exile, but others went on to flavor the cultures of new lands, most famously in Quebec and Louisiana (where the name "Acadian" eventually became the word "Cajun.")

The story of the Acadians began just eight miles from the Downeast Heritage Museum on L'Ile Sainte Croix (St. Croix Island). In 1604, seventy-seven men led by Samuel Champlain and Pierre Dugua established the first year-round European settlement north of St. Augustine, Florida. The island settlement predated both Jamestown and Plymouth Rock, and it brought about the first French contact with the native tribes that inhabited North America.

The settlers chose the area because of its similar latitude to that of France. Little did they realize that the tropical ocean currents that create the warm the French climate did not warm this part of the New World. Selecting an island in the tidal St. Croix River for its easy defensibility, the settlers were tragically stranded without adequate supplies when an early winter froze the river. But for the help of the Passamaquoddy Indians, all might have perished.

From their own harsh experiences at St. Croix Island, and from the Passamaquoddies, the first Acadians learned much about survival in the new world. Although the settlement was later moved to what is now Port Royal, Nova Scotia, the Acadian people trace their genesis to that first brave winter. The island is now an international monument to their heroic endeavor.

Here at the Downeast Heritage Museum, you can learn more about this important story. Hear about the fascinating personalities of the first settlers, their conflicts and their triumphs. Get a taste of how these early settlers lived and died. Watch and listen to the ghost of Pierre Dugua describe how Acadia began.

And afterwards, a five-minute drive will take you to the national park where you can view the island itself with your own eyes.