Acadia

During the second half of the 19th century, a cultural revival known as the Acadian Renaissance took its cue in part from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1847 poem Evangeline, which imaginatively portrayed the ordeal of the Acadian exiles. Acadians developed a national identity distinct both from their English-speaking neighbors and from other French-speaking Canadians (see French Canadians). At a series of national conventions during the 1880s, the Acadians of the Maritime provinces chose a national holiday (Assumption Day), a flag (a gold star placed on the French tricolor flag), and a national anthem. At the same time, industrialization opened up employment in urban centers such as Moncton, New Brunswick. The 20th century brought hard-won gains for Acadians both in language policies and in community economic development, especially in New Brunswick, where by 1996 the 240,000 French-speakers represented 32.5 percent of the overall population.

The Acadians also developed a new cultural vitality that found expression in Acadian folklore, music, and literature. In Louisiana too, increased academic interest in Acadian and Cajun history and society accompanied a widespread revival of cultural and genealogical awareness. The ongoing series of World Acadian Congresses, which bring together people of Acadian ancestry from all over the globe, demonstrates the cohesiveness of Acadian cultural identity.