"those two insignficant Islands" : Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, and Social and Cultural Continuity in Northeastern North America

Abstract

This thesis focuses on Mi’kmaq-French-Acadian relations in Northeastern North American between 1763 and 1793. The Seven Years’ War (1754-1763) spelled the end of France’s North American Empire and resulted in widespread geopolitical changes across the continent. This thesis argues that while the Seven Years’ War led to significant changes for the peoples of the Northeast, they were nevertheless able to maintain a remarkable degree of continuity in their social, economic, and cultural relationships with one another. The return of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon to France allowed specific Mi’kmaq, French, and Acadian communities to remain connected through kinship, religion, and commerce, despite the fact that Britain was the dominant imperial power in the region. The continuity in these connections demonstrates that French, Acadian, and Mi’kmaq influence persisted in the post-Conquest period. This thesis seeks to contribute to a growing body of literature, which argues that French cultural and economic structures in North America persisted for many years after the fall of New France.