Last Saturday’s ceremony in New Orleans, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana, was such a popular draw that even representatives of the French and Canadian consul-generals’ offices could not get in at first because the room was filled to capacity with about 200 people.
The event, From Acadie to Louisiana in 1765 — the Birth of Cajun Culture 250 Years Ago, was held at the Old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter.
This tragic story began in 1765 when a shipload of 200 Acadians, expelled from Canada and led by Joseph Beausoleil Broussard, arrived in New Orleans. The exact date of their arrival is unknown, but their presence is confirmed by records of the baptism of the first child of that group on Februay 19, 1765.
The 250th anniversary event featured readings from documents and letters from the time of the arrival of the Acadians in Louisiana, Cajun music and dance, and talks by scholars of Louisiana culture.
The most powerful reading was likely from a letter written by 19-year-old Acadian Jean-Baptiste Semer to his father in France in which he describes the voyage and arrival.
Read more about the event and see photos in the New Orleans Advocate article, Acadians’ arrival in Louisiana 250 years ago commemorated at event.
