France in North America.

All students of history know that France had once vast colonies in North America. Newfoundland was a French fishing base for the best part of four hundred years, Cape Breton was once Isle Royale and had a fortified city named Louisbourg, Quebec was the principal city in New France and the territory of Louisiana stretched well beyond the limits of today's modern state. But after many wars and the financial irresponsibility of Regents and Kings, France lost all of the North American possessions.

In fact that last statement is not quite true. Even today, more than four hundred and fifty years after Jacques Cartier's voyage, France's tricolour still floats on a group of small islands south of Newfoundland, only 800 miles from Boston: Saint-Pierre et Miquelon.

These islands, France's oldest overseas territory, have had a long complicated history. During the XVth century, fishermen from Brittany, the Basque Country and Normandy were in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon before most official European explorations. Around the beginning of the XVIth century Basques had founded fishing outposts in Saint-Pierre, Trepassy, St-Mary's and Placentia. In 1520 Portuguese explorer, Jose Alvarez Faguendes named the islands the "isles of Eleven Thousand Virgins" in honour of the legendary Saint-Ursula. By the end of the XVIIth century, skirmishes between French and English along the coast of Newfoundland saw many attacks against St-Pierre. In 1702 Admiral Leake attacked Saint-Pierre. Subsequent attacks occurred in 1703, 1707, 1708, 1711. By 1713, France abandoned all French possessions in Newfoundland and took over Saint-Pierre. Most inhabitants left for Louisbourg in Cape Breton. In 1763, after the Seven-Year War, France lost most North American colonies but Saint-Pierre et Miquelon was returned to France as a fishing post by virtue of the treaty of Paris. James Cook drew his map of the islands that same year. The French had hardly any time to settle the islands that a large wave of Acadian refugees tried to seek help in Saint-Pierre. By 1778 the islands were once again annexed by the British under Admiral Montagu. He ordered the complete destruction of all buildings and deported all the inhabitants' back to France. This action was taken by the British because of links between France and the American revolution.

As set out by the treaty of Versailles in 1783 the islands were returned to France but the French revolution of 1789 set in motion a series of events that led to the 1793 invasion of Saint-Pierre. The British invaded Saint-Pierre, Wentworth, Olgivie and King led the assault. The population was once again deported.

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