Fort Beauséjour

Fort Beauséjour is a military fortification in Canada, which had been created in the mid-18th century. The fort was built in 1751 by French troops and should serve as a strategic response to the built in previous years British Fort Lawrence. Fort Beauséjour is located on the Isthmus of Chignecto, immediately northeast of the border river Missaguash, today marks the south-eastern section of the border between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

During the 18th century, this river has formed an important dividing line, namely those between the British and the French sphere of influence in the North American continent. Ever since the Peace of Utrecht the Isthmus of Chignecto was the de facto border between the spheres of influence of these two colonial powers. However, the British also claimed those areas that lay north-east of the Isthmus, but still were under French control due to unclear contract terms. After the establishment of the British forts Lawrence in 1750 the French therefore began the following year with the construction of Fort Beauséjour. Thus the British expansionism should be a locking bar opposite and thus the French Acadian rest areas to be protected from British influence.

In these areas, many Acadian settlers had already settled previous to the 1710 British occupation of Acadia. In the first half of the 18th century was followed by another Acadian migrants in order thus to escape British rule. However, when during the year 1754 began the first hostilities of the French and Indian War, the Isthmus of Chignecto developed into a focal point of military conflict: At the beginning of June, British troops began with an attack on Fort Beauséjour and could this after two weeks of siege taking on 16 June 1755.