The Rich History Of New Brunswick

New Brunswick is a province in eastern Canada and is the country's only officially bilingual province, with French and English sharing equal status. It is one of the Maritime Provinces, along with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and is named after the German duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg.

New Brunswick was originally part of the French colony of Acadia, which was founded in 1604 by Samuel de Champlain. After over a century of conflict between France and Great Britain, Acadia became a British territory in 1710. In 1755, the British expelled over 5,000 Acadian residents, with many fleeing to the US and other parts of the world. However, those who settled in present-day eastern New Brunswick became the ancestors of the province's current French-speaking population.

Southern New Brunswick has a different history, becoming a safe haven for Loyalists fleeing the American Revolution. In 1784, New Brunswick was established as a separate province from Nova Scotia. It was named after the House of Brunswick and its capital, Fredericton, was named after King George III's son, Frederick.

The first inhabitants of New Brunswick were the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet people

The Mi'kmaq and Maliseet lived peacefully, except when they had to defend themselves against attacks by the Iroquois. When the Europeans arrived, both groups greeted them with hospitality and celebration. They accepted Christianity from the Jesuits, although their nomadic lifestyle challenged those in the missions. They were closely allied with the French, and intermarriage was not uncommon. As a result, they came into conflict with the British settlers during the French and Indian War. Diseases brought by the Europeans and their involvement in this conflict greatly reduced their population, and many moved north into Canada when the British were victorious.

The Mi'kmaq and Maliseet signed a series of treaties known as the Covenant Chain of Peace and Friendship Treaties with the British Crown throughout the eighteenth century. The first was signed in 1725, and the last in 1779. The Mi'kmaq maintain that they did not cede or give up their land title or other rights through these treaties. The landmark 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision in R v Marshall upheld the 1752 Peace and Friendship Treaty "which promised Indigenous Peoples the right to hunt and fish their lands and establish trade."

Today, the Mi'kmaq and Maliseet continue to inhabit New Brunswick and the surrounding areas, and their cultures and languages are still practised and taught to younger generations.

The province was named after the German duchy of Brunswick-Lunenburg

The province of New Brunswick was named after the German duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg. The duchy was located in what is now northwestern Germany and existed from the late Middle Ages until the Late Modern era within the Holy Roman Empire. The name Brunswick-Lüneburg came from the two largest cities in the territory: Brunswick and Lüneburg.

The dukedom emerged in 1235 from the allodial lands of the House of Welf in Saxony and was granted as an imperial fief to Otto the Child, a grandson of Henry the Lion. The duchy was divided several times during the High Middle Ages among various lines of the House of Welf, but each ruler was styled "Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg" in addition to his own particular title.

In 1714, the Hanoverian branch of the family succeeded to the thrones of Great Britain and Ireland, which they ruled in personal union with Hanover until 1837. For this reason, many cities and provinces in former British colonies are named after Brunswick or Lüneburg.

The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was formed out of the possessions of the senior branch of the House of Brunswick. The House of Brunswick originated from the Italian House of Este. This family acquired the inheritance of the Guelph family by marriage—around the year 1000—of Azzo II with Kunigunde of Altdorf, daughter of Welf II. Again, important possessions were gained in (Lower) Saxony by the marriage of Henry the Black to Wulfhilde of Saxony, who was the daughter of the last member of the House of Billung, which had been Dukes of Saxony for five generations. They were made Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1235.

In 1269, the house of Brunswick-Lüneburg divided into the branches of Lüneburg and Brunswick (later Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, the later Duchy of Brunswick). In 1432, the Principality of Calenberg, the later Electorate of Hanover, split from Brunswick(-Wolfenbüttel), and in 1705 acquired the territory of Lüneburg.

Both branches used in their arms the two lions of Brunswick, the blue lion of Lüneburg, and the white steed of Saxony. The use of the lion as a heraldic animal in the House of Guelph goes back to Henry the Lion in the 12th century at least. However, Henry used only a single lion as his symbol.

The Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg was a sovereign, independent state when the United States announced its independence from Great Britain in 1776. Incorporated into the Kingdom of Westphalia during the Napoleonic Wars of the early nineteenth century, the Duchy of Brunswick and Lüneburg regained independence in 1813. Mutual recognition between Brunswick and Lüneburg and the United States was established in 1848.

New Brunswick was partitioned from Nova Scotia in 1784

The new colony was almost called New Ireland, after a failed attempt to establish a colony of that name in Maine during the war. The name Fredericton was also nearly 'New Ireland', but was changed to Fredericton or 'Fredericstown' after Frederick, second son of King George III. The new capital was considered to have a better defensive position than larger Saint John.

The first governor of New Brunswick was Sir Thomas Carleton, appointed on 3 August 1784. In 1785, a new legislative assembly was established with the first elections. The Loyalists carried traditions of slavery with them to New Brunswick, and many brought slaves. However, by the end of the 18th century, some had started to challenge the practice, and the New Brunswick Supreme Court was presented with two freedom suits in 1799.

Saint John became Canada's first incorporated city in 1785

Saint John, a seaport city located on the Bay of Fundy, became Canada's first incorporated city in 1785. The city was established by uniting the two communities of Parr Town and Carleton, situated on either side of the harbour. This unification occurred after thousands of refugees from the newly formed United States settled in the area, wishing to remain British following the American Revolution. The city was incorporated by Royal Charter and was often referred to as the "Loyalist City".

Saint John's history as a significant trade and defence location for Acadia during the French colonial era, as well as its role in the Acadian Civil War, contributed to its early development. The city's location at the mouth of the Saint John River, with access to the Bay of Fundy, made it an ideal site for shipbuilding and commerce.

The establishment of Saint John as Canada's first incorporated city marked a significant step in the development of New Brunswick. It reflected the region's growing importance and set a precedent for future urban centres across the country.

The province is Canada's only officially bilingual province

New Brunswick is Canada's only officially bilingual province, with French and English having equal status. This means that both languages are used in the provincial legislature, government institutions, and courts.

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which came into effect in 1982, recognises that English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick. The Charter also states that both Anglophone and Francophone communities in the province have equal status and equal rights and privileges. This is further enshrined in the Constitution of Canada, which guarantees the equal status of French and English in New Brunswick.

The province's bilingual status is also constitutionally entrenched under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Sections 16–20 of the Charter include parallel sections guaranteeing the same rights at the federal level and the provincial level (New Brunswick only).

Section 16(2) symbolically states that "English and French are the official languages of New Brunswick" with "equality of status". Section 17(2) guarantees the right to use English or French in the New Brunswick legislature, while Section 18(2) states that New Brunswick's laws will be bilingual, with both texts carrying equal authority. Section 19(2) guarantees the right to use either official language in all New Brunswick court proceedings, and Section 20(2) guarantees the right to receive provincial government services in either official language.

New Brunswick's bilingual status was formalised with the passing of the New Brunswick Official Languages Act in 1969. This was complemented by An Act Recognizing the Equality of the Two Official Linguistic Communities in New Brunswick in 1981.

New Brunswick has an unofficial linguistic dividing line running diagonally through the province. Fredericton, Saint John, and the rest of southwestern New Brunswick are predominantly English-speaking, while most of the province's French Acadian natives live in the northeastern regions.

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