The Founding of New Acadia

The Beginnings of Acadian Life in Louisiana, 1765-1803

Carl A. Brasseaux

Narrated by Aaron Henkin

Available from Audible

Book published by Louisiana State University Press

In this penetrating study, Carl Brasseaux looks beyond long-standing mythology to provide a critical account of early Acadian culture in Louisiana and the reasons for its survival. He convincingly dispels many received notions about the routes Acadians traveled from Nova Scotia to Louisiana, their original settlement sites, and the patterns of their subsequent migrations within the state, and closely examines the relations of Louisiana’s Acadians with their black, Spanish, Indian, and Creole neighbors. As Brasseaux reveals, Acadians’ cohesiveness and insularity preserved the core elements of their culture and helped them adjust to new physical and social demands.

Carl A. Brasseaux is the author of more than thirty books on French North America. In June 2010, he retired as director of the Center for Louisiana Studies, director of the Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism, director of the Press, professor of history, and managing editor of Louisiana History—all at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

REVIEWS:

“A contribution of the highest order. It will undoubtedly remain the definitive study of the Acadians for many years to come.”

—Journal of American Studies