Lunenburg Rebellion Facts for Kids

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The Lunenburg Rebellion

In December 1753, the British dispatched Robert Monckton to quell the rebellion. The British feared the French and German Protestant rebels might have joined the Acadians.

Date	mid December, 1753
Location	Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Result	British victory: rebellion quelled.

Belligerents

Foreign Protestants and other settlers

Great Britain

British America

Commanders and leaders

John Hoffman

Colonel Robert Monckton

The Lunenburg Rebellion was a short uprising in December 1753. It happened in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, a new settlement in what is now Canada. The new settlers, many of whom were "Foreign Protestants" (people from other parts of Europe, like Germany and Switzerland), were unhappy. They were tired of being moved around by the British and faced very tough living conditions.

This rebellion, sometimes called "The Hoffman Insurrection," was led by an army captain named John Hoffman. It took place less than a year after the settlement was founded. The rebellion happened during a bigger conflict called Father Le Loutre's War (1749-1755), which was fought between Britain and France.

Why the Rebellion Happened
The Rebellion and Its End
See also

Why the Rebellion Happened

Settling Nova Scotia

Halifax, Nova Scotia was the first British colony that the government paid to settle. This happened between 1749 and 1764. The British wanted to bring in people who would be loyal to them. They hoped these new settlers would help them gain control of land and resources against the Acadians. The Acadians were French-speaking settlers who had lived in the area for a long time.

Problems for New Settlers

The British government was looking for more settlers for Nova Scotia. They decided to bring in "Foreign Protestants." These were people from Switzerland, France (called French Huguenots), and Germany.

A man named John Dick was hired to find these settlers. He promised them land, food for a year, and tools. However, many settlers had to pay for their own travel. John Dick was criticized for bringing in people who were old and poor. He also misled them about what life would be like in the New World. He even crowded too many people onto ships. In total, he brought over 2,700 "Germans and Swiss" people.

Unkept Promises

The British government wanted these Foreign Protestant settlers to become farmers. But most of them stayed in Halifax. This was because it was unclear who owned the land, especially with the Acadians living there. The settlers didn't like living in a "shanty town" (a town with poorly built homes). They complained that they couldn't get land or building materials. They also had to pay high rents and prices. These problems and broken promises made the settlers very frustrated. Because of these issues, the British government stopped bringing in Foreign Protestants in 1752.

Plans for Lunenburg

In the spring of 1753, people learned that the British planned to start a new settlement called Lunenburg. They were going to do this without talking to the Mi'kmaq people first. This decision went against an earlier peace treaty. Because of this, Governor Peregrine Hopson was warned that about 300 Mi'kmaq people were ready to fight against the new settlement. They planned to attack when the settlers arrived. The British wanted to establish more Protestant settlements in Nova Scotia. This was to balance the power of the Catholic Acadians.

In June 1753, about 1,400 German and French Protestant settlers arrived. British officer Charles Lawrence oversaw the move. British Navy ships, soldiers, and rangers protected them. They set up the village of Lunenburg. Two British army officers, John Creighton and Patrick Sutherland, helped found the settlement. A German immigrant named Dettlieb Christopher Jessen also played a role.

The Rebellion and Its End

Settlers' Frustration Boils Over

To solve the "foreigner" problem, the British decided to move the Foreign Protestants to Merligash, which was renamed Lunenburg. This was done under Charles Lawrence's direction. On June 19, 1753, the settlers were given town lots. Within two months, Lawrence reported that the settlers had built homes and gardens. However, he also said they were "inconceivably turbulent, I might have said mutinous." The Protestant settlers were very upset. They had not received the farmland they were promised and felt badly treated by the British.

The Uprising Begins

In mid-December 1753, just six months after arriving in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, the new settlers rebelled against the British. Some people believed that Father Jean-Louis Le Loutre, a French priest, supported them. The rebellion seemed to start because of rumors. A man named Jean Pettrequin spread a story about a letter from London. This letter supposedly said that the settlers were not getting all the support the British Parliament had approved for them.

Hoffman Takes Charge

The rebellion is often called "The Hoffman Insurrection." This is because it was led by John Hoffman, one of the army captains who had helped settle the town. Hoffman had been a Justice of the Peace in Halifax. He led a group of angry settlers. They locked up the local Justice of the Peace and some of Commander Patrick Sutherland's soldiers in a blockhouse (a small fort). The rebels then declared that they were forming their own government.

Commander Patrick Sutherland in Lunenburg asked for help from Halifax. Charles Lawrence sent Colonel Robert Monckton with troops to stop the rebellion. Monckton arrested Hoffman and took him to Halifax. Hoffman was accused of planning to join the French and take many settlers with him. He was fined and sent to prison on Georges Island (Nova Scotia) for two years. This was after what seems to be Nova Scotia's first (though unfinished) trial for trying to overthrow the government in 1754.

Aftermath of the Rebellion

After the rebellion, some of the French and German-speaking Foreign Protestants left Lunenburg. They went to join Le Loutre and the Acadians. The British saw this rebellion and its results as another reason to be suspicious of the Acadians. The Acadians were trying to remain neutral while farming lands that the British wanted to settle with new colonists.

Lunenburg Rebellion facts for kids

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