A Piece of the Past

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette recently obtained an important historical document which provides a tangible link to the past for the Cajun population. The single handwritten sheet bears the date of November 30, 1775. It is an original page from the journals of John Winslow, an English officer who supervised the expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia.

This valuable artifact was acquired by the University of Louisiana from a Connecticut rare-books dealer. Although Yale University was also very interested in securing ownership, it seems appropriate that the piece of Acadian history should now reside at the "Ragin Cajuns" campus. Scholars will have limited access to the original paper, while public viewing is faciliated by copies on display in the Louisiana Room at UL's Dupre Library.

In his personal letter to a Massachusetts doctor, Winslow chronicles details about the harsh royal orders enforced by British soldiers. Those Acadians who refused to pledge their allegiance to England were forcibly taken from their Canadian homes. The exiles were compelled to board ships for long hard journeys, and the tragic events in Acadian history became known as Le Grand Derangement.

According to historian Dr. Carl Brasseaux, the letter provides evidence of the practice of "ethnic cleansing" by ruling nations against minority groups. In this particular case, some of the Acadians were fortunate enough to set up new homes in a favorable place --- south Louisiana. These small groups held on to their unique heritage and became the nucleus for modern Cajun culture.

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