Pioneer Settlement in Kent County, New Brunswick

Gregory Kennedy (Université de Moncton)

The research on Kent County at the end of the nineteenth century is building on a rich historiography dealing with Francophone migration to urban centres in the United States during the age of industrialization. Although historians of Acadia have long been aware of the phenomenon, existing studies fail to provide a detailed understanding of mobility rates and the demographic impact of migration at the local level. By quantifying migration and assessing its long-term significance, our work makes a major contribution to the field of study. The theme’s originality also lies in its longitudinal approach that draws on multiple archival collections. Gregory Kennedy will undertake a comparitive study of Kent County and the Acadian Peninsula in collaboration with Maurice Basque.