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Where did Acadians sent to France go next, and did any reach Louisiana?

Research question: What records show where the Acadians repatriated to France after 1758 were sent next, and whether any of them later appear in Louisiana?

The records show that after 1758 the deported French-speaking inhabitants of Nova Scotia were sent to England and France 1, and the large group from Île Saint-Jean that arrived in 1758 stayed in France for nearly 30 years before migrating to Louisiana 15. Before that move, attempts to settle them in France, Corsica, the Falkland Islands, and French Guiana failed, and refugees were also settled on Belle-Île-sur-Mer off Brittany 1618. Yes, some do appear in Louisiana: in 1785 more than 1,600 Acadians exiled to France were transported there by the Spanish 13, and by 1788 the Acadian population in Louisiana had reached about 3,000, partly due to emigration from France 24. The sources do not say which specific French settlement the 1758 group went to first, and the newest dated fact is a 1798 Spanish archival file, about 228 years old as of October 2026 2.

Checked 2026-10-14. Only documented and supported facts are used.
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Sources

[1] supported
After 1758, the deported French-speaking inhabitants of Nova Scotia were sent to England and France.
"After 1758, they were deported to England and France."
French language in Canada
[2] supported
A Spanish archival file (AGI, PPC, legajo 197) documents a project by Peyroux to take the Acadians to Louisiana.
"Le projet de Peyroux est de conduire les Acadiens en Louisiane."
Chapitre V. Les projets d’établissement : fixer les Acadiens en France (1772-1785) (2012)
[3] supported
After the Seven Years War, the French government co-opted some Acadians to work on colonial labor projects in Saint-Domingue and to settle in outlying parts of French Guiana.
"Others were co-opted by the French government to work on colonial labor projects in Saint-Domingue (today’s Haiti) and to settle in outlying parts of French Guiana."
Archaeological Dimensions of the Acadian Diaspora (2017)
[4] supported
The Acadians in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia suffered mass deportations after British conquest, including to the United States and France.
"Conquered by the British, they suffered massive deportations to the United States and France"
French language in Canada
[5] supported
Henri Peyroux de la Coudrenière later wrote that he conceived, in 1783, the plan to organize the Acadians' emigration to Louisiana.
"Peyroux raconte qu’il forma le projet d’organiser l’émigration des Acadiens en Louisiane en 1783."
Chapitre V. Les projets d’établissement : fixer les Acadiens en France (1772-1785) (2012)
[6] supported
Some Acadians sought to establish New Acadias in Louisiana, as well as along the Saint John River in Maine and New Brunswick.
"Yet others sought to establish New Acadias in Louisiana and along the Saint John River in Maine and New Brunswick."
Archaeological Dimensions of the Acadian Diaspora (2017)
[7] supported
In 1755, most French-speaking inhabitants of Nova Scotia were first deported to the Thirteen Colonies.
"In 1755 the majority of the French-speaking inhabitants of Nova Scotia were deported to the Thirteen Colonies."
French language in Canada
[8] supported
Acadians were requesting to go to Louisiana, which worried the French government.
"La demande des Acadiens de passer en Louisiane ravivait l’inquiétude du gouvernement"
Chapitre V. Les projets d’établissement : fixer les Acadiens en France (1772-1785) (2012)
[9] supported
Acadians were prevented from returning to their homeland when the war ended, and many relocated to adjacent Canadian provinces instead.
"They were prevented from returning to their Acadian homeland at the war’s conclusion and many relocated to adjacent Canadian provinces."
Archaeological Dimensions of the Acadian Diaspora (2017)
[10] supported
At the end of the 18th century, measures were taken to promote the return of many exiled people from Canada and Miquelon.
"measures were taken to promote the return of numerous exiled people from Canada and Miquelon"
French language in Canada
[11] supported
The Acadians of Nantes wrote to the Spanish ambassador, the Count of Aranda, in 1783, a sign of their contacts with Spain.
"Les Acadiens de Nantes à l’ambassadeur d’Espagne, le comte d’Aranda, le 12 juillet 1783"
Chapitre V. Les projets d’établissement : fixer les Acadiens en France (1772-1785) (2012)
[12] supported
After the expulsion, the fleet deposited the Acadian exiles at scattered points, distributing them through the English colonies from Boston to Charleston.
"After all had been loaded on board, the fieet set sail, and, passing down the coast, deposited the exiles, some here. some there, distributing them through the colonies from Boston to Charleston."
Image 1 of Eagle River review (Eagle River, Wis.), January 24, 1895
[13] supported
In 1785, more than 1,600 Acadians who had been exiled to France were transported to Louisiana by the Spanish.
"In 1785 more than 1,600 were transported to Louisiana by the Spanish (WINZERLING, 1955)."
The Acadian Migrations (2005)
[14] supported
The decision to send Acadians to Louisiana was driven by the French government's desire to reduce the financial burden of supporting exiles and Spain's eagerness to strengthen its claim to Louisiana through colonization.
"The destitution of the Acadians, the désire of the French government to solve a problem which was a severe drain on the treasury, and the eagerness of Spain to strengthen its claim to Louisiana by active colonization ail lead to the Iast of the major Acadian migrations."
The Acadian Migrations (2005)
[15] supported
The large group of Acadians arriving from Île Saint-Jean in 1758 formed the core of an exile group that remained in France for nearly 30 years before migrating to Louisiana.
"The large number of Acadians which arrived from Ile Saint-Jean in 1758 was the nucleus of an exile group which remained in France for nearly 30 years."
The Acadian Migrations (2005)
[16] supported
Various attempts to settle the Acadians in France, Corsica, the Falkland Islands, and French Guiana all failed before they were sent to Louisiana.
"Various attempts to settle the Acadians in France, Corsica, the Falkland Islands and French Guiana ail failed."
The Acadian Migrations (2005)
[17] supported
The Acadians of Louisiana were well received by the Creoles and achieved the peace and security they had previously lacked.
"The Acadians of Louisiana were well received by the Créoles and achieved there the peace and security which had long eluded them."
The Acadian Migrations (2005)
[18] supported
Acadian refugees were settled on Belle-Île-sur-Mer, off the coast of Brittany, as part of a French experiment in internal colonization.
"an extraordinary French experiment in internal colonization — the settlement of Acadian refugees on Belle-Île-sur-Mer, off the coast of Brittany — is examined in Chapter 5."
The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History . By C hristopher H odson . (Oxford Studies in International History). New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. xiv + 260 pp. (2013)
[19] supported
Acadians were sent to French Guiana, Saint-Domingue, and the Falklands, where schemes to use their labor for agrarian purposes ended disastrously.
"Chapters 3 and 4 explore why such schemes ended disastrously in French Guiana, Saint-Domingue, and the Falklands"
The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History . By C hristopher H odson . (Oxford Studies in International History). New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. xiv + 260 pp. (2013)
[20] supported
The Acadian exodus to Spanish Louisiana occurred in the 1780s and was supported by Spanish authorities.
"The final chapter documents the Acadian exodus to Spanish Louisiana in the 1780s, a move supported by the Spanish authorities."
The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History . By C hristopher H odson . (Oxford Studies in International History). New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. xiv + 260 pp. (2013)
[21] supported
The migration to Louisiana was driven by a chronic lack of white settlers in the New World, which threatened European imperial expansion plans.
"Hodson sets this migration in the context of the chronic lack of white settlers in the New World, which threatened to undermine the European powers' plans for imperial expansion in the late eighteenth century."
The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History The Acadian Diaspora: An Eighteenth-Century History . By C hristopher H odson . (Oxford Studies in International History). New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. xiv + 260 pp. (2013)
[22] supported
Approximately 3,500 Acadians from Isle Saint Jean and Isle Royale were deported to France in August 1758 following the fall of Louisbourg.
"However, about thrity-five hundred Acadians on Isle Saint Jean and Isle Royale were finally deported to France in August of 1758, after the fall of Louisbourg ended French control in those areas."
Expulsion of the Acadians
[23] supported
The French government actively encouraged Acadians to leave France for Louisiana in 1785 to reduce its large Acadian population, resulting in 1,600 emigrants.
"The French government was anxious to reduce France’s large Acadian population, and Spain agreed to provide them with free land in Louisiana. In 1785, sixteen hundred Acadians took the offer and emigrated from France."
Expulsion of the Acadians
[24] supported
By 1788, the number of Acadians in Louisiana had grown to approximately 3,000, partly due to emigration from France.
"By 1788, there were about three thousand Acadians in Louisiana."
Expulsion of the Acadians
[25] supported
In 1765, Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil led about 200 Acadians from Saint Dominique to the Attakapas region of Louisiana to join earlier arrivals from New York.
"In 1765, Joseph Broussard dit Beausoleil led a group of about two hundred Acadians from Saint Dominique to the Attakapas region of Louisiana (now Vermilion, Lafayette, Saint Martins, Iberia, and Saint Mary parishes) to join about twenty Acadians from New York who had traveled there the year before."
Expulsion of the Acadians
[26] supported
After the Peace of Paris in 1763, Acadians were given eighteen months to emigrate and established settlements in various locations including Saint Pierre, Miquelon, Martinique, and Haiti.
"In 1763, when the Peace of Paris ended the Seven Years’ War and gave all Acadians eighteen months to emigrate, they established settlements in numerous places, including Saint Pierre, Miquelon, Martinique, Santo Domingo, and Saint Dominique (Haiti)."
Expulsion of the Acadians