New Brunswick's German Royal Roots

New Brunswick, one of Canada's Maritime Provinces, is named after the Duchy of Brunswick in Germany, which was in the possession of King George III in 1784 when the province was established. George III was also Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Fredericton, the capital city, was named after George III's second son, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

New Brunswick was named after King George III, who was Duke of Brunswick

New Brunswick, one of the Maritime Provinces of Canada, was named after King George III, who was also the Duke of Brunswick. The province was established in 1784 when it was separated from Nova Scotia, and the name was chosen to honour the reigning British monarch.

At the time, the area that is now New Brunswick was part of the colony of Nova Scotia, and was administered from Halifax. However, the newly arrived Loyalists who had settled in the area following the American Revolutionary War felt no allegiance to Halifax and wanted to separate from Nova Scotia. They felt that the government of Nova Scotia represented the Yankee population, who had been sympathetic to the American Revolutionary movement, and they wanted to isolate themselves from what they saw as democratic and republican influences.

The British administrators of the time also felt that the colonial capital of Halifax was too far from the developing territories to the west of the Isthmus of Chignecto for effective governance, and so the colony of New Brunswick was officially created on 16 August 1784, with Sir Thomas Carleton as its first governor.

The name New Brunswick was chosen because King George III was descended from the House of Brunswick, which was derived from the city of Braunschweig in Germany (now part of Lower Saxony). The capital of the new province, Fredericton, was also named after royalty – it was named after George III's second son, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

The lion on the shield of New Brunswick's coat of arms is a reference to the ties between the province and Britain, and it is also found in the arms of the Duchy of Brunswick. The lion is also one of the three gold lions of England that featured in the arms of King George III.

The name was given when the area became a new colony in 1784

The name New Brunswick was given to the area in 1784, when it became a new colony. It was named in honour of King George III, who was also the Duke of Brunswick, an area in Germany. The name was chosen despite local recommendations to call the colony 'New Ireland'.

The new colony was formed from the western portions of Nova Scotia, which were severed from the rest of the province. This was partly in response to the influx of loyalists who settled in British North America after the American Revolutionary War. The loyalists wanted to separate from Nova Scotia and its capital, Halifax, because they felt no allegiance to the city, which they associated with democratic and republican influences. The British administrators of the time also felt that the colony of Nova Scotia was too large to govern effectively.

The capital of the new colony was established at Fredericton, 114km up the St. John River. The city was named after George III's second son, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. The lion in the coat of arms of New Brunswick symbolises the province's ties to Britain, and is also found in the arms of the Duchy of Brunswick. The coat of arms also features a galley, reflecting the importance of shipbuilding and seafaring to the province.

The area was previously part of Nova Scotia

The area that is now New Brunswick was originally part of Nova Scotia. In 1784, the western portions of Nova Scotia were severed to form the new colony of New Brunswick, partly in response to the influx of Loyalists who settled British North America after the American Revolutionary War.

The British administrators of the time felt that the colonial capital of Halifax was too far from the developing territories to the west of the Isthmus of Chignecto for proper governance. As a result, the colony of New Brunswick was officially created with Sir Thomas Carleton as the first governor on 16 August 1784.

The new colony was named in honour of the British monarch, King George III, who was descended from the House of Brunswick. Fredericton, the capital city, was also named after a member of the royal family—George III's second son, Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany.

The creation of the new colony was not without controversy. The newly arrived Loyalists felt no allegiance to Halifax and wanted to separate from Nova Scotia to isolate themselves from what they felt were democratic and republican influences in that city. They believed that the government of Nova Scotia represented a Yankee population that had been sympathetic to the American Revolutionary movement.

The election of 1786 was bitterly contested and pitted two concepts of loyalty to the Empire against one another: loyalty to the King and his appointed governors, and loyalty to the King with local affairs handled by the locals. Hundreds who protested a rigged election and signed a petition to call another election were arrested for sedition. This event replicated the pre-1775 behaviour and attitude of both Tories and Whigs in the southern 13 Colonies, who protested their loyalty to the King and pride in belonging to the British Empire while insisting on their rights as British subjects, local rule, and fair governance.

The capital, Fredericton, was named after King George III's son, Frederick

The capital of New Brunswick, Fredericton, was named after King George III's second son, Frederick, Duke of York and Albany. The city was founded in 1785 and became the capital of the new colony of New Brunswick, partitioned from Nova Scotia. Fredericton was chosen as the capital due to its better defensive position compared to the larger Saint John. The city's streets were laid out in a typical grid pattern of the time, with street names reflecting loyalist tendencies: Charlotte, Brunswick, George, King, and Queen.

Fredericton has a rich history, with archaeological evidence of a camp in the area dating back 12,000 years. The site was also once home to a French fort, Fort Nashwaak, which was built on the north side of the Saint John River in the late 1600s and served as the capital of Acadia. In 1713, Acadians escaping the British takeover of Nova Scotia settled in the area, naming it Pointe Ste-Anne. However, the site was destroyed in 1758 when the population of about 83 was exiled during the expulsion of the Acadians.

In 1783, United Empire Loyalists arrived from New England, marking the beginning of modern Fredericton. The following year, New Brunswick was established as its own colony, and Pointe-Ste-Anne was renamed "Fredericstown" in honour of Prince Frederick. Fredericton became a centre of government and education, attracting institutions such as King's College (now the University of New Brunswick), which was the first English-language university in Canada.

Today, Fredericton is a vibrant and cultural city, known for its artistic and educational institutions. It is home to two universities, cultural venues, and annual festivals such as the Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival. Fredericton also has a growing IT and commercial sector and is recognised for having the highest percentage of residents with post-secondary education in the province.

The province is constitutionally bilingual, with a large Francophone minority

The province of New Brunswick in Canada is constitutionally bilingual, with a large Francophone minority. About a third of the population are native French speakers, with Acadian French being the predominant dialect. The Francophone community is largely based in rural areas along the border with Quebec and the eastern coast of the province, with the only major Acadian population centre being Moncton. Francophones are, however, in the minority in Moncton.

The Francophone minority in New Brunswick is largely made up of Acadians, who are descendants of French settlers and some of the Indigenous peoples of Acadia, a French colony in what is now Nova Scotia. The Acadians were expelled by the British in 1755 for refusing to take an oath of allegiance to King George II, leading to thousands of Acadian residents being exiled in North America, the UK, and France. Some Acadians eventually returned to the Maritime provinces of Canada, mainly to New Brunswick, as they were prohibited by the British from resettling in their villages in what became Nova Scotia.

In 1969, New Brunswick passed the Official Languages Act, which recognised French as an official language alongside English. This was partly in response to the Francophone population being marginalised and experiencing inequities in education, healthcare, and infrastructure. The Act ensures that New Brunswickers have the right to receive provincial government services in the official language of their choice.

New Brunswick's bilingual status is enshrined in both provincial and federal law. The Canadian Constitution specifically mentions New Brunswick's bilingual status and defines the spirit of implementation as one based on both community and individual rights. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms also makes specific mention of New Brunswick in each section relating to language, guaranteeing the equal rights and privileges of the French and English-speaking communities of New Brunswick.

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