Maritimes - Fort Beausejour/Fort Cumberland

Near Aulac New Brunswick, just before you get to Nova Scotia, is Fort Beausejour or Fort Cumberland (depending on who you ask).

The fort started to be constructed in 1751 because after conflict in the area the previous year, an English fort was built nearby (Fort Lawrence). This key land route from Fort Louisbourg to Quebec was important enough for the French to build several forts, Fort Beausejour being one of them. A wiki article on the fort is here.

It was unfinished when it was attacked and taken over by the British in 1755. It was then that it was renamed Fort Cumberland. This was the beginning of the end of French influence in North America.

When the English won, most of the Acadians (French Colonists) in the area were told to swear loyalty to the British Crown. They refused as they feared retaliation from both sides. The British them burned the homes of the French Acadians and ejected them from the area. This process carried on throughout the Atlantic provinces as it meant English colonists could take thier land and the British could be safer from the possibility of reprisals. This was the start of the expulsion of Acadians in the Atlantic provinces to other parts of the world: Louisianna, New England, South America, Carribian and France. Some hid from the British to avoid expulsion and eked out a life in remote areas. Many came back and set up communities where they originally were or new ones. It is these people that make up the lovely Acadian French areas of the Atlantic Provinces.

Fort Cumberland was attacked during the American Revolutionary war by American revolutionaries who recruited Acadians and British citizens. If the fort had fallen, many historians believe Nova Scotia would have joined the American side due to British weakness in the area. Instead it solidified the crowns rule.

Today the site is open all year round and there are renactors and a museum available during peak tourist season.