Acadian renaissance

The Acadian renaissance refers to the period during which the French-speaking inhabitants of the Maritimes worked to ensure the survival of their language and culture by gaining control of their own institutions, including ecclesiastical ones. The last decades of the 19th century saw major advances in Acadian development, not only the foundation of educational institutions and the establishment of Acadian newspapers, but also the structuring of public affirmations of national identity, such as the organization of the Acadian national conventions. The Acadian population had been increasing markedly, as had the efforts of the élite to provide them with an independent socio-political organization and a group consciousness based on a sense of belonging to one people, to one nation.