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Île-Royale (French pronunciation: [il ʁwajal], lit. 'Royal Island') was a French colony in North America that existed from 1713 to 1763 as part of the wider colony of Acadia.

It consisted of two islands, Île Royale (present-day Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia) and Île Saint-Jean (present-day Prince Edward Island). It was ceded to the British Empire after the Seven Years' War, and is today part of Canada.

Context

The 1713 Treaties of Utrecht, which brought an end to the War of the Spanish Succession, broke the equilibrium that existed in North America between Great Britain and France. The treaties marked the start of the reduction of French royal authority in this region of the world.

France recognized the rights of Great Britain on the Hudson Bay region and also ceded continental Acadia, Newfoundland and Saint Pierre and Miquelon to Great Britain.^[1] In now-British Newfoundland, the French kept their fishing rights and some rights to use parts of the land along the coast to work. Mostly, French settlers from those ceded lands relocated to the maritime islands that were established as France-owned.

The territory of modern New Brunswick was a source of contention between Great Britain and France for 50 additional years, which was only to be resolved by the Treaty of Paris in 1763 with the abject surrender of the French.

Utrecht Treaty Article 13

Article 13 of the Treaties of Utrecht reads: "The Island called Cape Breton and all the others located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, will as of this date belong to France...".

Re-Settlement

Philippe de Pastour de Costebelle, regional French colonial governor and naval officer, persuaded the Acadian inhabitants of Plaisance and Saint Pierre and Miquelon to move to Île-Royale. In 1714, they came to inspect the land and certain families, such as the Costes and the Tillards, decided to establish themselves while others only passed through before settling on Île Saint-Jean.^[2] The majority established themselves at St. Peters (renamed Port Toulouse) and situated on the eastern coast of Île-Royale, recreating the Acadian colony. French ships came regularly to fish cod.

Louisbourg

Louisbourg was founded in 1713. It was used as a fishing port for cod and had a readily defensible harbour. Louisbourg served peacefully for three decades as a seaport for the French colony. A fortress was constructed starting in 1719 to protect French interests in the New World and to serve the seasonal fishing industry. Its geographic position permitted Louisbourg to serve, not only as capital of Île-Royale, but as first line of defense in the 18th century during the wars with Great Britain for the supremacy of North America.

New England colonial troops aided by the British Royal Marines captured the city in 1745 after six weeks of siege. After three years of British governance, Louisbourg was returned to France in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

The Minister of Marine appointed Charles des Herbiers de La Ralière as governor in 1748, and Jean-Louis de Raymond in 1751,^[3] who was replaced in 1754 by Augustin de Boschenry de Drucour.

End of French Rule

Peace was short lived, and on 26 July 1758, after the second Siege of Louisbourg led by British officers Edward Boscawen and James Wolfe, the French Governor Augustin de Drucourt gave the keys of the city to the British.

Following the transfer, 4,000 Acadian inhabitants were deported. A group of ten families from Port Toulouse fled to Isle Madame where their descendants still live today.