Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia
Encyclopedia
Petit-de-Grat is a small Acadian
community in the Canadian
province of Nova Scotia
, located in Richmond County
on Petit-de-Grat Island
. The community was first populated by French fisher men in 1718 after they arrived from Canso, Nova Scotia
having survived a raid by New Englanders. The community was made up of 10 to 20 merchants who each owned a few shallops and employed about a dozen men. Petit de Grats was home to 173 people, including 8 women and 20 children. The community was a permanent, year-round village, whereas Canso hosted only seasonal fishing camps.
On August 8, 1720, a group of 60 Mi'kmaq joined the French from Petit de Grat and attacked Canso. In the battle, two New Englanders were shot to death and one drowned. The New Englanders took 21 prisoners which they transported to Annapolis Royal
. This raid on Canso was significant because of the involvement of the Mi'kmaq and it precipitated a course of events that would lead to Dummer's War
.
In 1745, the village was destroyed by New Englanders in the aftermath of the Siege of Port Toulouse
.
During the American Revolution
, on September 22, 1776, Canso, Nova Scotia
was attacked by American privateer John Paul Jones
- the Father of the American Navy. The privateer saided on the USS Providence
and destroyed fifteen vessels, and damaged much property on shore. There he recruited men to fill the vacancies created by manning his prizes, burned a British fishing schooner, sank a second, and captured a third besides a shallop which he used as a tender. Jones then pillaged the community of Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia and Arichat, Nova Scotia
on Isle Madame, Nova Scotia and then returned to Boston.
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
community in the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, located in Richmond County
Richmond County, Nova Scotia
Richmond County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia.-History:Named in honour of Sir Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond and Lennox, who was Governor General of British North America 1818-1819, Richmond County was created in 1835....
on Petit-de-Grat Island
Petit-de-Grat Island
Petit-de-Grat Island is a Canadian island off the coast of Cape Breton Island, in Richmond County, Nova Scotia. The islands main community is Petit-de-Grat. The first settlers came from the Basque region of Spain in 1714....
. The community was first populated by French fisher men in 1718 after they arrived from Canso, Nova Scotia
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
having survived a raid by New Englanders. The community was made up of 10 to 20 merchants who each owned a few shallops and employed about a dozen men. Petit de Grats was home to 173 people, including 8 women and 20 children. The community was a permanent, year-round village, whereas Canso hosted only seasonal fishing camps.
On August 8, 1720, a group of 60 Mi'kmaq joined the French from Petit de Grat and attacked Canso. In the battle, two New Englanders were shot to death and one drowned. The New Englanders took 21 prisoners which they transported to Annapolis Royal
Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia
Annapolis Royal is a town located in the western part of Annapolis County, Nova Scotia. Known as Port Royal until the Conquest of Acadia in 1710 by Britain, the town is the oldest continuous European settlement in North America, north of St...
. This raid on Canso was significant because of the involvement of the Mi'kmaq and it precipitated a course of events that would lead to Dummer's War
Dummer's War
Dummer's War , also known as Lovewell's War, Father Rale's War, Greylock's War, the Three Years War, the 4th Indian War or the Wabanaki-New England War of 1722–1725, was a series of battles between British settlers of the three northernmost British colonies of North America of the time and the...
.
In 1745, the village was destroyed by New Englanders in the aftermath of the Siege of Port Toulouse
Siege of Port Toulouse
The Siege of Port Toulouse took place between May 2-10, 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Port Toulouse The Siege of Port Toulouse took place between May 2-10, 1745 when a New England colonial force aided by a British fleet captured Port Toulouse The Siege...
.
During the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, on September 22, 1776, Canso, Nova Scotia
Canso, Nova Scotia
For the headland, see Cape Canso.Canso is a small Canadian town in Guysborough County, on the north-eastern tip of mainland Nova Scotia, next to Chedabucto Bay. The area was established in 1604, along with Port Royal, Nova Scotia. The British construction of a fort in the village , was instrumental...
was attacked by American privateer John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones was a Scottish sailor and the United States' first well-known naval fighter in the American Revolutionary War. Although he made enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to...
- the Father of the American Navy. The privateer saided on the USS Providence
USS Providence (1775)
Originally chartered by the Rhode Island General Assembly as Katy, USS Providence was a sloop in the Continental Navy.-Service as Katy:...
and destroyed fifteen vessels, and damaged much property on shore. There he recruited men to fill the vacancies created by manning his prizes, burned a British fishing schooner, sank a second, and captured a third besides a shallop which he used as a tender. Jones then pillaged the community of Petit-de-Grat, Nova Scotia and Arichat, Nova Scotia
Arichat, Nova Scotia
The village of Arichat is one of the oldest communities in Nova Scotia, dating back to the 18th century. It is a district of Richmond County on Isle Madame....
on Isle Madame, Nova Scotia and then returned to Boston.