Acadians and Persistence
The year 1755 is an inevitable reference point in the Acadian identity and is deeply rooted in their collective memory. Even today, parallels are frequently drawn between that event and contemporary difficulties experienced by certain Acadian regions. The literary, artistic, and journalistic fields have all been influenced by the memories of the Grand Dérangement. The Acadian newspaper L'Évangéline (1887-1982) was so named in honour of the central character in the poem inspired by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, who drew his inspiration from the Deportation. Antonine Maillet, Claude LeBouthillier, Nelson Surette and many other Acadian authors and artists have drawn their inspiration from the events of the Deportation. Numerous Acadian musical groups, such as the well-known 1755 and Grand Dérangement have done the same.