Acadian Archives / Archives acadiennes - UMFK

08/08/2026

Registration for the Center for French Colonial Studies Annual Conference in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine is now open.

This is not a strictly academic conference. The conference features lectures by noted scholars, tours, musical performances, and great meals. All events are centered on the Franco-American experience in North America, and anyone can sign up.

Primary sponsors include the Acadian Archives, the Franco-American Collection at the University of Southern Maine, the Maine State Museum, PoutineFest USA - Maine, and Arbre Croche Cultural Resources.

We hope to see you there!

For conference information, visit our website:
https://www.frenchcolonialstudies.org/conference-2026

To register for the conference:
https://www.frenchcolonialstudies.org/conference-registration

08/07/2026

This was a lot of fun! Thank you to the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce and to everyone who attended "The St. John Valley Through Outsiders' Eyes in the Nineteenth Century"!

More exciting events to come this fall... stay tuned.

We are kicking off "Be a Tourist in your Town" today with a presentation by Patrick LaCroix at the Acadian Archives / Archives acadiennes - UMFK . We have a great turnout! Thank you Patrick for welcoming us here today!

08/06/2026

The contentious American census of British possessions in the Madawaska borderland, ca. 1831:

McLauchlan's "presence may have mollified the Acadians at the eastern end of the valley. Irishman Francis Rice, who had been dispatched to help organize the local militia, was more intransigent. Rice was 'doing all he can to coerce the French and extend and enforce British usurpation . . . He treated us civilly, but the people relate acts of oppression against him.'"

https://querythepast.com/deane-and-kavanagh/

08/05/2026

Tomorrow!

The St. John Valley Through Outsiders' Eyes in the Nineteenth Century

August 6, 2026 (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) at the Acadian Archives
Registration: https://business.fortkentchamber.com/eventcalendar/Details/the-st-john-valley-through-outsiders-eyes-in-the-nineteenth-century-1871751

In this talk, Acadian Archives director Patrick Lacroix will share travelers' andpolicymakers' view of the St. John Valley across time. Beginning with a visit from the Bishop of Quebec in 1812, outsiders have had much to say about our region. Some of it has been disparaging and has revealed a profound misunderstanding of life in the greater Madawaska Territory. The Bishop of Quebec seemed particularly unimpressed. But others offered insightful commentary that continues to inform our outlook today.

This event will be free and open to all, but attendees are asked to register ahead of time on the website of the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce.

In this talk, Acadian Archives director Patrick Lacroix will share travelers' and policymakers' view of the St. John Valley across time. Beginning with a visit from the Bishop of Quebec in 1812, outsiders have had much to say about our region. Some of it has been disparaging and has revealed a pr...

08/03/2026

The film La Frontière, a documentary short that chronicles life in our region, is now available to stream.

Co-director Katy Haas states that the film has been accepted for educational distribution with New Day Films, which is a co-op format and has a great catalog of documentary films on historical, environmental and socially-focused topics. Through New Day, La Frontière can be purchased or rented for use by schools or other organization. It is also available through public and institutional libraries with the streaming service Kanopy. Anyone whose library has a membership with Kanopy can use their library card to rent La Frontière!

Check it out:

La Frontière is a poetic documentary portrait of Northern Maine’s border with Canada.

07/31/2026

On this day in Acadian history: The Deportation Order (Followed)

Orders of Charles Lawrence to Col. Robert Monckton, July 31, 1755:

[I]t will he necessary to keep this measure as secret as possible, as well to prevent their attempting to escape, as to carry off their cattle &c.; and the better to effect this you will endeavour to fall upon some stratagem to get the men, both young and old (especially the heads of families) into your power and detain them till the transports shall arrive [...]. But also to send out parties to all suspected roads and places from time to time, that they may be thereby intercepted. As their whole stock of cattle and corn is forfeited to the Crown by their rebellion, and must be secured & apply'd towards a reimbursement of the expense the government will be at in transporting them out of the Country. [...]

When Beau Sol[ei]l's son arrives, if he brings you no intelligence which you can trust to, of what the French design to do or are doing upon the St. John River, I would have you fall upon some method of procuring the best intelligence by means of some inhabitant you dare venture to put confidence in, whom you may send thither for that purpose.

As to the provisions that were found in the stores at Beausejour[, t]he 832 barrels of flour must be applied to victual the whole of the French inhabits. on their passage to their place of destination, and if any remain, after a proper proportion is put on board of each transport, it will be sent to Lunenburg for the settlers there.

It is agreed that the inhabitants shall have put on board with them, one pound of flour & half a pound of bread pr. day for each person, and a pound of beef pr. week to each, the bread and beef will be sent to you by the transports from Halifax, the flour you have already in store.

I would have you give orders to the detachment you send to Tat[a]magouche; to demolish all the houses &c. they find there, together with all the shallops, boats, canoes or vessels of any kind which may be lying ready for carrying off the inhabitants & their cattle, & by this means the pernicious in*******se and intelligence between St. Johns Island [Prince Edward Island] & Louisbourg and the inhabitants of the interior part of the country, will in a great measure be prevented.

07/28/2026

On this day in Acadian history: The Deportation Order

Minutes of the Nova Scotia Colonial Council, Halifax, July 28, 1755:

The Lieutenant Governor acquainted the Council that the [Acadian] deputies from Pisiquid, Menis [sic] and the river Canard were arrived and had delivered the following memorials . . .

The said deputies were then called in, and peremptorily refused to take the oath of allegiance to His Majesty. The deputies of Annapolis also appeared and refused the oath. Whereupon they were all ordered into confinement.

As it had been before determined to send all the French inhabitants out of the Province if they refused to take the oaths, nothing now remained to be considered but what measures should he taken to send them away, and where they should be sent to.

After mature consideration, it was unanimously agreed that, to prevent as much as possible their attempting to return and mo**st the settlers that may be set down on their lands, it would be most proper to send them to be distrib[u]ted amongst the several colonies on the continent, and that a sufficient number of vessels should be hired with all possible expedition for that purpose.

Chas. Lawrence
Jno. Duport, Sec. Conc.

07/27/2026

Upcoming Event: The St. John Valley Through Outsiders' Eyes in the Nineteenth Century

Thursday, August 6, 2026 (4:00 PM - 5:30 PM) at the Acadian Archives

In this talk, Acadian Archives director Patrick Lacroix will share travelers' and policymakers' view of the St. John Valley across time. Beginning with a visit from the Bishop of Quebec in 1812, outsiders have had much to say about our region. Some of it has been disparaging and has revealed a profound misunderstanding of life in the greater Madawaska Territory. The Bishop of Quebec seemed particularly unimpressed. But others offered insightful commentary that continues to inform our outlook today.

This event will be free and open to all, but attendees are asked to register ahead of time on the website of the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce:

https://business.fortkentchamber.com/eventcalendar/Details/the-st-john-valley-through-outsiders-eyes-in-the-nineteenth-century-1871751

07/24/2026

"At the state archives in Augusta, a team of two archivists is fulfilling all document requests on top of their day-to-day duties, although they urge people to use FamilySearch or similar ancestry sites before submitting requests to make the search easier.

"Only about 20% of towns in the 1920s submitted vital records to state agencies, said Cotz, which makes the process more difficult for both applicants and the archivists. Additionally, many towns have disbanded, making obtaining documentation more difficult."

The latest glimpse at the pursuit of Canadian citizenship in Maine:

Canada passed a law late last year that makes it easier for U.S. residents to pursue citizenship.