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because Spain stood sternly on her own rights and punished
British smugglers。 During many years the tension between the two
nations grew。 No doubt Spanish officials were harsh。 Tales were
repeated in England of their brutalities to British sailors who
fell into their hands。 In 1739 the story of a certain Captain
Jenkins that his ear had been cut off by Spanish captors and
thrown in his face with an insulting message to his government
brought matters to a climax。 Events in other parts of Europe soon
made the war general。 When; in 1740; the young King of Prussia;
Frederick II; came to the throne; his first act was to march an
army into Silesia。 To this province he had; he said; in the male
line; a better claim than that of the woman; Maria Theresa; who
had just inherited the Austrian crown。 Frederick conquered
Silesia and held it。 In 1744 he was allied with Spain and France;
while Britain allied herself with Austria; and thus Britain and
France were again at war。
In America both sides had long seen that the war was inevitable。
Never had French opinion been more arrogant in asserting France's
right to North America than after the Treaty of Utrecht。 At the
dinner…table of the Governor in Quebec there was incessant talk
of Britain's incapacity; of the sheer luck by which she had
blundered into the occupation of great areas; while in truth she
was weak through lack of union and organization。 A natural
antipathy; it was said; existed between her colonies and herself;
she was a monarchy while they were really independent republics。
France; on the other hand; had grown stronger since the last war。
In 1713 she had retained the island of Cape Breton and now she
had made it a new menace to British power。 Boston; which had
breathed more freely after the fall of Port Royal in 1710; soon
had renewed cause for alarm in regard to its shipping。 On the
southern coast of Cape Breton; there was a spacious harbor with a
narrow entrance easily fortified; and here France began to build
the fortress of Louisbourg。 It was planned on the most approved
military principles of the time。 Through its strength; the
boastful talk went; France should master North America。 The King
sent out cannon; undertook to build a hospital; to furnish
chaplains for the service of the Church; to help education; and
so on。 Above all; he sent to Louisbourg soldiers。
Reports of these wonderful things reached the English colonies
and caused fears and misgivings。 New England believed that
Louisbourg reflected the pomp and wealth of Versailles。 The
fortress was; in truth; slow in building and never more than a
rather desolate outpost of France。 It contained in all about four
thousand people。 During the thirty years of the long truce it
became so strong that it was without a rival on the Atlantic
coast。 The excellent harbor was a haven for the fishermen of
adjacent waters and a base for French privateers; who were a
terror to all the near trade routes of the Atlantic。 On the
military side Louisbourg seemed a success。 But the French failed
in their effort to colonize the island of Cape Breton on which
the fortress stood。 Today this island has great iron and other
industries。 There are coal…mines near Louisbourg; and its harbor;
long deserted after the fall of the power of France; has now an
extensive commerce。 The island was indeed fabulously rich in
coals and minerals。 To use these things; however; was to be the
task of a new age of industry。 The colonist of the eighteenth
centurya merchant; a farmer; or a fur traderthought that Cape
Breton was bleak and infertile and refused to settle there。
Louisbourg remained a compact fortress with a good harbor; free
from ice during most of the year; but too much haunted by fog。 It
looked out on a much…traveled sea。 But it remained set in the
wilderness。
Even if Louisbourg made up for the loss of Port Royal; this did
not; however; console France for the cession of Acadia。 The fixed
idea of those who shaped the policy of Canada was to recover
Acadia and meanwhile to keep its French settlers loyal to France。
The Acadians were not a promising people with whom to work。 In
Acadia; or Nova Scotia; as the English called it; these backward
people had slowly gathered during a hundred years and had
remained remote and neglected。 They had cleared farms; built
primitive houses; planted orchards; and reared cattle。 In 1713
their number did not exceed two or three thousand; but already
they were showing the amazing fertility of the French race in
America。 They were prosperous but ignorant。 Almost none of them
could read。 After the cession of their land to Britain in 1713
they had been guaranteed by treaty the free exercise of their
religion and they were Catholics to a man。 It seems as if history
need hardly mention a people so feeble and obscure。
Circumstances; however; made the role of the Acadians important。
Their position was unique。 The Treaty of Utrecht gave them the
right to leave Acadia within a year; taking with them their
personal effects。 To this Queen Anne added the just privilege of
selling their lands and houses。 Neither the Acadians themselves;
however; nor their new British masters were desirous that they
should leave。 The Acadians were content in their old homes; and
the British did not wish them to help in building up the
neighboring French stronghold on Cape Breton。 It thus happened
that the French officials could induce few of the Acadians to
migrate and the English troubled them little。 Having been
resolute in acquiring Nova Scotia; Britain proceeded straightway
to neglect it。 She brought in few settlers。 She kept there less
than two hundred soldiers and even to these she paid so little
attention that sometimes they had no uniforms。 The Acadians
prospered; multiplied; and quarreled as to the boundaries of
their lands。 They rendered no military service; paid no taxes;
and had the country to themselves as completely as if there had
been no British conquest。 They rarely saw a British official。 If
they asked the British Governor at Annapolis to settle for them
some vexed question of rights or ownership he did so and they did
not even pay a fee。
This is not; however; the whole story。 England's neglect of the
colony was France's opportunity。 Perhaps the French court did not
follow closely what was going on in Acadia。 The successive French
Governors of Canada at Quebec were; however; alert; and their
policy was to incite the Abenaki Indians on the New England
frontier to harass the English settlements; and to keep the
Acadians an active factor in the support of French plans。 The
nature of French intrigue is best seen in the career of Sebastien
Rale。 He was a highly educated Jesuit priest。 It was long a
tradition among the Jesuits to send some of their best men as
missionaries among the Indians。 Rale spent nearly the whole of
his life with the Abenakis at the mission station of Norridgewock
on the Ken