Battle of Port Royal (1690): Difference between revisions
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== Historical Context == |
== Historical Context == |
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This battle marked the climax of a period of steadily worsening relations between New Englanders and the French imperial authorities, and it helped inaugurate a new pattern of relations in the Bay of Fundy region.<ref>Geoffrey Plank. An Unsettled Conquest: The British Campaign Against the Peoples of Acadia. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2001. p. 10</ref> |
This battle marked the climax of a period of steadily worsening relations between New Englanders and the French imperial authorities, and it helped inaugurate a new pattern of relations in the Bay of Fundy region.<ref>Geoffrey Plank. An Unsettled Conquest: The British Campaign Against the Peoples of Acadia. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2001. p. 10</ref> There were various intentions behind the New England attack on Acadia. Some wanted the expedition to lay the foundation for a profitable postwar relations with the Mi'kmaq and Acadians, while others sought only to punish them for their alleged complicity in recent attacks against New England.<ref>Geoffrey Plank. An Unsettled Conquest: The British Campaign Against the Peoples of Acadia. University of Pennsylvania Press. 2001. p. 11</ref> |
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==The battle== |
==The battle== |
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Revision as of 09:57, 30 July 2010
| Battle of Port Royal (1690) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of King William's War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Massachusetts Bay Colony | French colony of Acadia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| William Phips | Louis-Alexandre des Friches de Meneval (POW) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 7 warships with 78 cannon, 736 men (446 of them being militiamen) | 70 soldiers, 18 cannon(none mounted) | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| none | all surrendered | ||||||
The Battle of Port Royal (1690) occurred at Port Royal (Nova Scotia) during King William's War (1690-16), the first of the four French and Indian Wars. In 1690 Port Royal was attacked and destroyed by an overwhelming force sent from New England.
Historical Context
This battle marked the climax of a period of steadily worsening relations between New Englanders and the French imperial authorities, and it helped inaugurate a new pattern of relations in the Bay of Fundy region.[1] There were various intentions behind the New England attack on Acadia. Some wanted the expedition to lay the foundation for a profitable postwar relations with the Mi'kmaq and Acadians, while others sought only to punish them for their alleged complicity in recent attacks against New England.[2]
The battle
Commanded by William Phips, the force consisted of "7 ships, armed with 78 cannon and carrying 736 men, 446 of them being militiamen." The French garrison consisted of only 80 soldiers, and the fortifications were in a state of disrepair; available cannon were not mounted. One of the fighters who became a prominent defender of Acadian interests was Pierre Maisonnat dit Baptiste.
Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Governor Meneval negotiated an honorable surrender, although Phips refused to put it in writing. After some of his men began plundering the town, Phips reneged on the agreement. The New Englanders began 12 days of looting and pillaging. They removed the cannons and anything deemed a fortification was levelled.
Consequences
Phips also ordered the Acadian peasantry to swear an oath of allegiance to William and Mary of England. Phips then determined to install a new government; he organized a provisional government by personally selecting French Acadian leaders to form a council.
France regained control of Port Royal the following year. Joseph Robineau de Villebon, one of Meneval's assistants, returned to Port Royal from France. He reestablished French authority in Port Royal.
Sources
- John Mack Faragher, A Great and Noble Scheme: The Tragic Story of the Expulsion of the French Acadians from their American Homeland (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005).
- Parks Canada, Port Royal National Historic Site brochure, undated (2001 ?).