Louisiana
Louisiana, a Spanish colony at the time, received Acadian exiles after the Treaty of Paris in 1763, as the new authorities were looking for Catholic settlers. A few hundred Acadians hence settled in the southeastern part of the colony, in a region which later became known as "Acadiana". Towards the end of the 1760s, more than 600 Acadians deported to Maryland and Pennsylvania joined them. The largest group of Acadian exiles to reach Louisiana left Nantes in 1785. The Spanish government brought over around 1,600 Acadians who were not adapting well to life in the mother country and chose to leave France. Upon their arrival in Louisiana, the Acadians were greeted with provisions, medical care and free land. Acadians who settled in Louisiana gave birth to an original and dynamic culture, the Cajun culture, known across the world for its cuisine and music.
