Fort Edward (Nova Scotia) facts for kids
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| Established | 1750 |
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| Location | Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Type | National Historic Site |
Fort Edward is a very old and important fort in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was built in 1750 during a conflict known as Father Le Loutre's War. The British built this fort to help control the area and prevent the Acadians from leaving.
The fort is famous for its role in the Acadian Expulsion in 1755. It also helped protect Halifax during the American Revolution. Today, much of the original fort is gone. However, its blockhouse is the oldest one still standing in North America. A stone monument, called a cairn, was also added to the site later.
Contents
Why Was Fort Edward Built?
Even though the British took control of Acadia in 1710, many people living there were still French-speaking Acadians and Mi'kmaq people. A conflict called Father Le Loutre's War started in 1749. This was when Edward Cornwallis arrived to create the city of Halifax.
The British mostly stayed in Halifax at first. They tried to build a settlement nearby but gave up because of attacks from the Mi'kmaq. To protect their new settlements, the British built forts in places like Halifax, Bedford, Dartmouth, and Lunenburg.
Within 18 months of founding Halifax, the British built more forts. They wanted to control important Acadian communities. Fort Edward was built in present-day Windsor. Other forts were built in Grand Pré and Chignecto. There was already a British fort, Fort Anne, in Annapolis Royal.
Fort Edward was built where an Acadian church used to stand. In 1750, Major Charles Lawrence ordered the Acadians to destroy their church so the fort could be built. Before the fort was built, British soldiers fought the Mi'kmaq in the Battle at St. Croix.
The fort was named after Edward Cornwallis, who founded Halifax.
Fort Edward During the French and Indian War
Fort Edward played a big part in the Bay of Fundy Campaign of 1755. This was part of the Acadian Expulsion. After a battle at Fort Beauséjour, the commander of Fort Edward, Captain Alexander Murray, wrote about how worried the Acadians were.
On September 5, 1755, Captain Murray read the expulsion order to 183 Acadian men he had gathered at Fort Edward. On October 20, 920 Acadians from the area were put onto ships. Unlike other Acadian communities, the buildings in Pisiquid were not burned. This meant that new settlers, called New England Planters, had houses and barns ready to use.
Fort Edward was one of four forts where Acadians were held prisoner during the nine years of the expulsion. On average, about 350 Acadian prisoners were held at the fort at any given time.
Attacks on Fort Edward
Both the Acadians and Mi'kmaq fought back against the Expulsion. In September 1756, about 100 Acadians attacked a group of British soldiers working outside the fort. They captured seven soldiers, and six escaped back to the fort.
In April 1757, Acadian and Mi'kmaq fighters raided a warehouse near Fort Edward. They killed thirteen British soldiers and then set the building on fire. A few days later, they also raided Fort Cumberland.
A British officer named John Knox wrote that the British only "imagined" they controlled Nova Scotia in 1757. He said that the situation was so dangerous that soldiers and people at Fort Edward, Fort Sackville, and Lunenburg were like "prisoners" themselves.
In the early 1760s, it was against the law for Acadians to live in Nova Scotia. Any Acadians who had avoided capture in 1755 were imprisoned. Records from Fort Edward show lists of prisoners from 1761-1762. One famous prisoner held here in 1762 was the Acadian Joseph Broussard.
While imprisoned, Acadians were sometimes forced to work for the new settlers. After the war, many Acadians chose to move to New Brunswick or Saint Pierre and Miquelon instead of staying in Nova Scotia.
Notable Prisoners and Commanders
Some important people held prisoner at Fort Edward included:
- Acadian leader Joseph Broussard
- Priests Henri Daudin and Jacques Girard
Many different officers commanded Fort Edward over the years. Some of them included Captain John Gorham, Captain Alexander Murray, and Captain Nicholas Cox. Captain Cox was the longest-serving commander.
Gallery of Commanders
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Captain John Hale, 47th Foot
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Captain Nicholas Cox - longest serving commander
Fort Edward in the American Revolution
Nova Scotia in the American Revolution During the American Revolution, soldiers from the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) were stationed across Atlantic Canada. Fort Edward became the main base for this regiment in the region. The soldiers moved from Halifax to Fort Edward to protect against a land attack on Halifax.
Throughout the war, Fort Edward also held prisoners. These were often sailors captured from American privateering ships. A famous Scottish woman named Flora MacDonald stayed at the fort with her husband in 1778-1779 before returning to Scotland.
Fort Edward in the War of 1812
Fort Edward was also used during the War of 1812. It continued to protect Nova Scotia from attacks by American privateers. The fort remained an important part of British defenses in Nova Scotia until 1858.
Fort Edward During World War I
During World War I, Fort Edward became a training camp for Canadian and British soldiers. It was known as "Camp Fort Edward." One person who trained there was the future Hollywood film director William Desmond Taylor.
The British Army also used the fort to train Jewish men. These soldiers were preparing to fight against the Ottoman Turks in Palestine. This unit was called The Jewish Legion. About 1100 Jewish troops trained at Fort Edward in 1917. They lived in tents on the hillside below the blockhouse.
Many of these recruits had dreams of a Jewish homeland in Palestine. Important founders of the Jewish Legion, like David Ben-Gurion (who became the first prime minister of Israel) and Ze'ev Jabotinsky, trained at Fort Edward. David Ben-Gurion later said he would "never forget Windsor where I received my first training as a soldier."
Fort Edward National Historic Site
Fort Edward was recognized as a National Historic Site in 1920. The blockhouse itself was also named a Classified Federal Heritage Building in 1994. This means it's a very important historical building.
Windsor Agricultural Fair
The Windsor Agricultural Fair is the oldest continuous agricultural fair in North America. It started in 1765 with the first generation of New England Planters at Fort Edward.
See also
In Spanish: Fort Edward para niños
