British Public Debt, the Acadian Expulsion and the American Revolution

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Studies in Public Choice book series (SIPC, volume 35)

Abstract

Starting in 1755, the French-speaking colonists of Atlantic Canada (known as the Acadians) were deported by the British. The expulsion was desired by the American colonists in New England but was ultimately opposed by the British government. In fact, the expulsion was enacted against the wishes of the Imperial government. Set against the backdrop of rising public debt in Britain, the costly expulsion of the Acadians (combined with the subsequent conquest of the French-speaking colony of Quebec) contributed to a change in policy course favoring centralization. Using public choice theory, I construct a narrative to argue that the Acadian expulsion contributed to the initiation of the American Revolution.

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Notes

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to acknowledge the help of Alex Salter, Adam Martin, Manuel Bautista, Art Carden, John Lovett and Joshua Hall. The Free Market Institute at Texas Tech provided financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Texas Tech UniversityLubbockUSA

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