Acadiana

Published by Leslie Thompson on April 19, 2011 under Uncategorized

Leslie Thompson

English 2329 American Literature

Professor Warren

April 19, 2011

http://www.thecajuns.com/images/cajnflg.gif

 

Acadiana

Acadiana is an area of Louisiana that is made up of twenty two parishes.  It extends from Lake Charles over to Grande Isle and up to Pointe Coupee.  The Acadians settled in this area of Louisiana after their expulsion from Nova Scotia during the French and Indian War.  The Acadians were French settlers that had established their new way of life in Canada in the 1700s.  The English attempted to get these French settlers to take an oath to them.  They refused, and after many attempts to negotiate with England, they were eventually exiled.  Many of the Acadians fled to Louisiana which was under Spanish rule at the time.  In 1803, the United States bought Louisiana and it became a territory.  Eventually other nationalities began to move into the area.  The new English settlers heard the word, “Acadian” as “Cajun” and soon the word was altered.  People began referring to the “Acadians” as “Cajuns.”  In 1965, a “Cajun Acadian” flag was created to honor the 200th anniversary of the Acadians settling in Louisiana.  The gold star on the on the right side of the flag represents the Virgin Mary which symbolizes their Catholic heritage.  On the top right hand corner of the flag, there are three fleurs-de-lis on the blue background, which is in honor of the Acadians original French ancestry.  The bottom section is red with a yellow castle in the middle.  This section represents the Spanish rule at the time of the original settlement by the Acadians in Louisiana.

 

Works Cited

ACADIAN – CAJUN Genealogy, History, & Culture. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://www.acadian-cajun.com>.

“ACADIAN-CAJUN Genealogy & History: Acadian Flags.” ACADIAN – CAJUN Genealogy, History, & Culture. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://www.acadian-cajun.com/acflag.htm>.

“A Brief Guide to Acadiana.” The Gumbo Pages :: Make Levees, Not War. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://www.gumbopages.com/acadiana/>.

“Index of /images.” Cajun and Cajuns: Genealogy Site for Cajun, Acadian and Louisiana Genealogy, History and Culture. Web. 19 Apr. 2011. <http://www.thecajuns.com/images/cajnflg.gif>.

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