Fort Anne National Historic Park

Nova Scotia Fort Anne National Historic Park o o o o o id 0) to m 5 ai'iël riiSiûiy Annapolis Royal, or Port Royal as it was Alarmed by numerous privateering at was renamed Annapolis Royal in honour called by the French, is located at the con tacks on their ships and by French-inspired of Queen Anne and became the official fluence of the Allain and Annapolis Rivers Indian raids, the New England colonies British capital of Nova Scotia. in Nova Scotia. It occupied an important attempted to destroy the Acadian settle Until 1749 the British governors, aided by place in the early history of Canada as the ments. Port Royal, as the French capital of a rag-tag garrison of regular troops and seat of government in Nova Scotia for part Acadia, suffered many attacks and changed New England provincials, and supported by of both the French and English regimes. hands several times before 1690. By 1700, the government of Massachusetts, at The first Port Royal settlement, estab however, the French colonists were receiv tempted to maintain a British presence in a lished by the French in 1605, was not built ing somewhat better support from France, province populated by Acadians and in here, but on a site five miles down the and were constructing a substantial fort- filtrated by French raiding parties from Annapolis River (where Port Royal National the present one - at Port Royal. New Quebec and Louisbourg. Their task was Historic Park is now located). This settle England forces attacked the new fort twice made none the easier by crumbling fortifi ment was destroyed in 1613 by the English in 1707, but were repulsed by the garrison cations, poor morale among the troops, under Samuel Argall of Virginia. Nova under the able and energetic Governor, frequent ambushes outside the fort, and Scotia was returned to the French by treaty Daniel Auger, Sieur de Subercase. general indifference to their plight on the in 1632. By 1635 the French Governor, In 1710 mainland Nova Scotia, including part of the authorities at home. The garrison Charles de Menou d'Aulnay, had built a new Port Royal, was captured for the last time was poorly fed; the soldiers were ill-paid, if Port Royal, not on the old site down river, when Colonel Francis Nicholson the former at all; and the officers - when they were but on the site of the present town of Anna Governor of Maryland, laid siege to the not quarrelling-frequently had to pool their polis Royal. Between 1635 and 1710 other town and fort with a mixed force of New own money to support their troops. Never French settlements sprang up throughout England troops and British marines. theless, the beleaguered garrison defended the area of present-day Nova Scotia, New Subercase held out for two weeks, but lack the fort and town against several French Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island to of food for his soldiers and their families, attacks; and although they could not induce create a vaguely defined territory known and the constant rain of artillery shells the Acadians to take an outright oath of as Acadia. finally forced him to surrender. Port Royal allegiance to the Crown, succeeded in Brief history obtaining at least their neutrality. 1 Road and entrance. belief, the ditch was not designed to hold In 1749 the British established Halifax as 2 Northeast bastion. A bastion is a project water. the provincial capital and built a military ing part of a fortification designed to 15 Covert way. A road approximately 30 base there to counterbalance the strong defend the adjoining walls. The northeast feet wide and protected by a small parapet French fortress and settlement at Louis- bastion was called the Bastion Dauphin by ran all around the outer perimeter of the bourg. The fort at Annapolis Royal dwindled the French and accommodated a bake ditch. In time of seige, troops manned the in importance to the status of a military house and blacksmith's forge. During the road to defend the approach to the fort. outpost, and by the end of the Seven Years' English regime, carpenters' shops and gun War in 1763 was garrisoned by only a small ners' quarters were also located here. The museum building detachment. It became a scene of activity 3 Road and exit. The museum building is a reconstruction once more in the 1790's when Prince 4 Northeast ravelin. A ravelin is a triangular of the officers' quarters built in 1797 as part Edward, Duke of Kent, was Commander-in- outwork protected by a ditch and placed of the improvements ordered by Prince Chief of the British forces in Canada. in front of curtain walls for their protection. Edward, Duke of Kent. The original building Prince Edward ordered repairs to the fort The northeast ravelin was built by the had deteriorated beyond repair by the and installed a larger garrison as part of British in 1747 to protect the fort from land 1930's, and only small sections could be his policy of increasing British military ward attack. incorporated in the reconstruction. The strength in Nova Scotia. The last detach 5 Southeast bastion, built by the French original layout of the rooms has been pre ment of troops was withdrawn in 1854. and called the Bastion du Roy. served, and where interior woodwork and In 1917 the old fort was transferred from 6 South ravelin, built by the British in 1747 other fittings were replaced, the original the Department of Militia and Defence to to protect the fort from landward attack. designs were reproduced. the National Parks Service, and became 7 Southwest bastion, called the Bastion de The main floor of the museum building is one of Canada's first national historic Berry by the French, it covered the ap occupied by administrative offices, a library, parks. It is now maintained by the National proach to the fort from the Allain River. and the museum proper. On the other floors Historic Sites Service of the Department of 8 Powder magazine, originally constructed are rooms devoted to maps, ships, Indians, Indian Affairs and Northern Development. by the French in 1708. For protection, the natural history of the area, and miscel walls were sunk into the southwest bastion. laneous exhibits. What to look for The entrance-way has been changed The present Fort Anne was built by the considerably from 1708 but the building French between 1695 and 1708, and in itself has retained its original form. corporates later additions made by the 9 Sally port, built about 1750 on the site of British. Its construction was based on a sys an earlier French gate. tem perfected by the great French engineer 10 West ravelin. The oldest ravelin of the Vauban, and consisted of a four-bastion three in the fort, and the only one built earthwork surrounded by a dry ditch and during the French period. protected on the west by a ravelin. Located 11 Barbette battery. Here are the faint re at the confluence of the Allain and Anna mains of a battery built by the French and polis Rivers, the fort was intended primarily rebuilt by the British. Guns mounted in a to guard against naval attack, and the barbette battery fire over the parapet rather weakness of its landward defences plagued than through embrasures (apertures in both its French builders and their British the wall). successors. In the mid-1740's, when French 12 Northwest bastion, built by the French attacks were an annual occurrence, the and called the Bastion de Bourgogne, it British strengthened the fort by adding two guarded the approach from the Annapolis detached ravelins to guard against attacks River. from the landward side. 13 Underground storehouse, used as a The only surviving original buildings are storehouse by the French and as an the storehouse in the northwest bastion and armoury by the British. the powder magazine in the southwest 14 Dry ditch. This obstacle surrounding the bastion. The museum building is a recon fort formed an important part of its de struction (1940) of the officers' quarters, fences. It was widened by the British on the originally built in 1797. west and south sides when the two ravelins (see map) were added in 1747. Contrary to popular What to look for National Historic Parks & Sites 12 hort George, (Ontario) At Niagara-on-the-Lake, 26 Grand Pré, (Nova Scotia) Evangeline Chapel and main fortification built 1797-1801; reconstructed museum stand near the village where the prin 1 Dawson City, (Yukon Territory) Centre of the 1937-1940 by Niagara Parks Commission; declared cipal events in the expulsion of the Acadians Klondike Gold Rush, Palace Grand Theatre and National Historic Park, 1969. took place. riverboat S.S. Keno preserved as national historic sites. 13 Queenston Heights, (Ontario) Site of major 27 Halifax Citadel, (Nova Scotia) Nineteenth-century American invasion, critical battle and American stone fortress, one of the largest in North 2 Fort Rodd Hill, (British Columbia) Nineteenth defeat during War of 1812. Monument to Major- America, contains three spacious museums re century British coastal fortification with historic General Isaac Brock killed during the repulse. lating to Canada's naval, military and provincial Fisgard Lighthouse nearby. history. 14 Bellevue House, (Ontario) At Kingston, home of 3 Vancouver, (British Columbia) The schooner, the first prime minister of Canada, Sir John A. 28 Prince of Wales Martello Tower, (Nova Scotia) At St. Roch, first vessel to navigate the Northwest Macdonald. Point Pleasant Park, Halifax, built by British Passage from West to East; built in 1928 for the between 1796-1798.

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