Acadia:  First Foothold in the North episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 27, 2026 · 1H 34M

Acadia: First Foothold in the North

from Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong · host Samuel Biagetti, PhD

We follow the tortuous beginnings of Acadia, the first northern European colony in America -- a string of remote fishing and fur trading outposts, Catholic missions, and French farming villages, which had to withstand a harsh, remote environment, religious and political feuding, a near civil war, and frequent privateer attacks, in order to persist through the seventeenth century and finally begin to develop a distinctive Acadian provincial society which would later survive global war and ethnic cleansing. Please become a patron to hear patron-only lectures -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 My previous lecture on Bourbon France in the same period: https://www.patreon.com/posts/age-of-3-bourbon-44146424 Suggested further reading: N. Griffiths, “The Contexts of Acadian History” & “From Migrant to Acadian: A North American Border People”; Arseneault, “History of the Acadians” Image: Depiction of Belle-Isle area just outside of Port Royal from French census of 1686 Music: “Danse des Sauvages,” from “Les Indes Galantes” by Rameau, performed by Les Arts Florissants

We follow the tortuous beginnings of Acadia, the first northern European colony in America -- a string of remote fishing and fur trading outposts, Catholic missions, and French farming villages, which had to withstand a harsh, remote environment, religious and political feuding, a near civil war, and frequent privateer attacks, in order to persist through the seventeenth century and finally begin to develop a distinctive Acadian provincial society which would later survive global war and ethnic cleansing. Please become a patron to hear patron-only lectures -- www.patreon.com/user?u=5530632 My previous lecture on Bourbon France in the same period: https://www.patreon.com/posts/age-of-3-bourbon-44146424 Suggested further reading: N. Griffiths, “The Contexts of Acadian History” & “From Migrant to Acadian: A North American Border People”; Arseneault, “History of the Acadians” Image: Depiction of Belle-Isle area just outside of Port Royal from French census of 1686 Music: “Danse des Sauvages,” from “Les Indes Galantes” by Rameau, performed by Les Arts Florissants

NOW PLAYING

Acadia: First Foothold in the North

0:00 1:34:05

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong?

This episode is 1 hour and 34 minutes long.

When was this Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong episode published?

This episode was published on February 27, 2026.

What is this episode about?

We follow the tortuous beginnings of Acadia, the first northern European colony in America -- a string of remote fishing and fur trading outposts, Catholic missions, and French farming villages, which had to withstand a harsh, remote environment,...

Can I download this Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!